‘Ali- Frazier’: Former UFC LW Champion Recalls Replicating Tupac Shakur and Biggie’s East Coast vs West Coast Rivalry in UFC

The East Coast and West Coast hip-hop rivalries are well-known in the United States. Moreover, former UFC champion Frankie Edgar claimed to have replicated the same thing in one of his UFC fights. He headlined UFC Fight Night 66 against Urijah Faber in Manila, where they reignited the East-West rivalry like rap legends Tupac Shakur and Biggie. Moreover, Edgar believes it had a Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier kind of feel to it.

Frankie Edgar and Urijah Faber are well-known legends of MMA. ‘The Answer’ is a former UFC lightweight champion, which he won after defeating B.J. Penn. On the other hand, Urijah Faber never won a title in the UFC, but his contributions landed him in the Hall of Fame. And recently, Edgar recalled the fight he had with ‘The California Kid’ back in 2015. Let’s see what he has to say.

Frankie Edgar recalls replicating Tupac Shakur and Biggie’s rivalry in an Ali-Frazier type of fight against Urijah Faber

Frankie Edgar and Urijah Faber have a lot of respect for each other. They both made an appearance during a panel discussion in a recent YouTube video posted by the UFC. Meanwhile, Edgar mentioned that he did not hesitate to take the fight against ‘The California Kid’ in 2015. He said, “When they offered me the Urijah [Faber] fight, you obviously jump at that fight.”

Furthermore, Frankie Edgar also mentioned that his fight against Urijah Faber, which took place in Manila, gave him the same feeling as when Muhammad Ali fought Joe Frazier in Manila. “In Manila, it’s kind of, you know, a throwback to the Ali-Frazier Manila… Two big names.”

What was more interesting was that both fighters walked out of the arena with rap songs. While Urijah Faber came out to a song from Tupac Shakur, Frankie Edgar came out to Biggie’s song. The former champion claimed that this gave their fight an East Coast vs. West Coast rivalry vibe.

“It was cool, you know. You run out to Tupac, I run out to Biggie. Come on, East vs West. Can’t beat it,” said Edgar. Meanwhile, let us take a look at how that fight came out for both fighters.

Edgar defeated Faber via a unanimous decision in a 5-round war at UFC Fight Night 66

Frankie Edgar and Urijah Faber headlined UFC Fight Night 66 in Manila. It was a featherweight bout where ‘The California Kid’ put on a great show. However, ‘The Answer’ edged past him with more strikes. Moreover, Edgar was the only one who scored takedowns in that fight. He scored a total of five takedowns that night.

Additionally, Frankie Edgar also had the most significant strikes that night, with 83. It was a great fight where the former champion showcased why he was one of the best to ever step foot inside the Octagon, even as a featherweight fighter. Edgar went on to compete for a few more years before hanging up his gloves in 2022.

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There have been some very interesting rivalries in pop culture. However, nothing comes close to the heat the West Coast had on the East Coast. We will have to wait and see if such pop culture rivalries come to life during UFC fights in the future. It will be a great treat for fans of the sport of MMA.

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