Frankie Edgar’s bantamweight debut set for January 25 opposite Cody Sandhagen

Frankie Edgar has his first UFC bantamweight fight set.

The former UFC lightweight champion will take on Cory Sandhagen at UFC Raleigh on January 25. ESPN was first to report the news. The bout will also serve as the co-main event.

Edgar officially announced he would move down to 135-pounds after his title fight loss to Max Holloway at UFC 240. He was expected to take on Aljamain Sterling at UFC 244, but Sterling was forced out of the scrap with an injury.

“The Answer” is 22-7-1 as a pro and coming off the loss to Holloway. Before that, he beat Cub Swanson by decision, which got him back into the win column after his knockout loss to Brian Ortega. Edgar, who is 38, has been hinting about a move to bantamweight for quite some time and now has pulled the trigger on it.

“The cat’s out of the bag! I’ve been reluctant to cut down my whole career but I feel like now is the time,” Edgar wrote in a statement. “Excited for a new beginning!”

Cory Sandhagen, meanwhile, is 12-1 and on a seven-fight winning streak including being 5-0 inside the Octagon. Last time out, he beat Raphael Assuncao by decision in a very impressive outing. He dominated the Brazilian in a way not many expected. In the UFC, he also has wins over John Lineker, Mario Bautista, Iuri Alcantara, and Austin Arnett. He is currently ranked third in the bantamweight division.

Image via @ufc on Instagram

This fight is crucial for the bantamweight division as the winner could very well be next in line for a title shot. With Marlon Moraes vs. Jose Aldo and Urijah Faber vs. Petr Yan set for UFC 245, it will put the winners in a three-way race for the title shot.

The main event of the card is a heavyweight battle between Junior dos Santos vs. Curtis Blaydes.

Who do you think will win the fight between Frankie Edgar and Cory Sandhagen at UFC Raleigh? And, do you think the winner will get a title shot? Sound off in the comment section, PENN Nation!

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 11/13/2019.