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Frankie Edgar’s wait to fight Urijah Faber ends this weekend in Manila

Edgar and Faber nearly coached opposite on ’The Ultimate Fighter’

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Frankie Edgar, right, lands a punch against Cub Swanson in a featherweight mixed martial arts bout during the UFC Fight Night at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014.

Thu, May 14, 2015 (2 a.m.)

UFC fans clamored for a fight between former champions and lighter weight class luminaries Frankie Edgar and Urijah Faber for years.

The bout was on Edgar’s mind for even longer. The former UFC lightweight champion began measuring himself up against Faber, the former WEC featherweight champion, before ever breaking out of the regional fight circuit in 2006.

“When I first got into fighting, he was the man of the lighter weight guys so he was someone that guys like myself sought to be,” Edgar said.

Faber is now finally someone that Edgar seeks to beat. A featherweight bout pairing the two headlines a Fox Sports 1-broadcasted card branded as UFC Fight Morning in North America because of its 5 a.m. local start time Saturday from Manila, Philippines.

Edgar may have thought about facing Faber for close to a decade, but it was only two years ago when serious discussions began. “The Ultimate Fighter” 19 nearly featured them coaching against each other, according to Edgar.

Edgar cited weight class complications — Faber was closing in on his third bantamweight title shot at the time — for the reason the opposing coaching slot ultimately went to old rival B.J. Penn instead.

“I was definitely disappointed,” Edgar said. “With the fact that I had already beaten B.J. twice before, it wasn’t something I was looking forward to doing. I thought Urijah would have been great to coach and fight against.”

Edgar wiped out Penn easier than he had in either of their first two fights last summer, via third-round TKO, and went on to submit Cub Swanson in the winter. When Conor McGregor’s rise kept Edgar out of a second shot at Jose Aldo for the featherweight title he felt he deserved, Faber was a logical opponent.

Only one factor cut into Edgar’s enthusiasm about the long-awaited match — the location. He was surprised when the UFC relayed plans for the fight to take place in the Philippines.

“At first, not going to lie, I was a little reluctant,” Edgar said. “There’s always obstacles when you’re fighting overseas.”

“The long flight, traveling, time difference, different food, different culture, the cost to get the rest of your team there. But there’s always some obstacle you have to deal with, so you learn to adjust and make due.”

Edgar experienced energy during a media trip to Manilla two months ago that lightened his concerns. He was taken aback by how many people in the country appeared to be interested in mixed martial arts.

“Walking the streets or walking the mall, I got noticed there more than anywhere I do in my hometown,” Edgar said. “Even when we went out to the TV station, if I do TV or radio here, you might get a couple of people who say, ‘hey, can I get a picture?’ But I think every single employee in that building wanted a picture. They’re into it.”

The fanfare was the type warranted for a matchup with this type of anticipation. The bout holds more significance than the typical scenario of two longtime veterans meeting in the cage, too.

Faber is on his own streak that includes two consecutive victories and six wins in his last seven fights. That means the winner will emerge as the most likely challenger after the UFC 189 featherweight championship between Aldo and McGregor on July 11 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

“I’m not losing sight of what I have to take care of May 16, first and foremost,” Edgar said. “But I will absolutely be there with my eye on the featherweight title.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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