NEW YORK – Frankie Edgar suffered a brutal knockout loss in his final MMA bout Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
In the eyes of many, Edgar’s career will land him in the Hall of Fame. But what is expected to be the final result on his record, will be a knockout loss at UFC 281.
Opponent Chris Gutierrez (19-3-2 MMA, 7-1-1 UFC) kneed Edgar (24-11-1 MMA, 18-11-1 UFC) brutally in the head. The unconscious Edgar toppled over backward. His head hit the canvas and the bout was waved off at 2:03 of Round 1. It took Edgar a few minutes to regain his bearings, as an emotional Gutierrez tried to embrace the retiree.
After the fight, Edgar was emotional as he bid farewell to the crowd on the microphone.
Chris Gutierrez stops Frankie Edgar 😳
A perfect knee up the middle ends this one early #UFC281 pic.twitter.com/M5A0A1VKYq
— UFC (@ufc) November 13, 2022
Gutierrez entered UFC 281 with a chip on his shoulder due to a near-decade-old sour interaction with Edgar at a regional show. Despite the wide-ranging attention on Edgar’s retirement, Gutierrez wasn’t focused on nostalgia.
With the victory, Gutierrez is 7-0-1 in his most recent nine fights. His only promotional defeat came in his debut against Raoni Barcelos in November 2018.
Edgar goes out on a loss, but regardless is considered by many a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
A former UFC lightweight champion with two successful title defenses, Edgar competed 30 times in the UFC, with his debut in February 2007. Edgar also challenged for the featherweight title on three occasions (two undisputed challenges and one interim challenge).
Career wins on Edgar’s record include names like B.J. Penn, Urijah Faber, Sean Sherk, Chad Mendes, Charles Oliveira, and more. Edgar exits the UFC with five defeats in his final six fights.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 281 results include:
- Frankie Edgar vs. Chris Gutierrez via knockout (knee) – Round 1, 2:01
- Dan Hooker def. Claudio Puelles via TKO (kick) – Round 2, 4:06
- Renato Moicano def. Brad Riddell via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:20
- Ryan Spann def. Dominick Reyes via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:20
- Erin Blanchfield def. Molly McCann via submission (kimura) – Round 1, 3:37
- Andre Petroski def. Wellington Turman via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Matt Frevola def. Ottman Azaitar via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:30
- Karolina Kowalkiewicz def. Silvana Gomez Juarez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Michael Trizano def. Seungwoo Choi via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 4:51
- Montel Jackson def. Julio Arce via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Carlos Ulberg def. Nicolae Negumereanu via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 3:44
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.
