"I'm excited to go over there just because the Japanese fan base is going to be pretty cool. Pride was huge over there, MMA's huge – it's the birthplace of martial arts. So what better place to defend your title than there?... I think they really appreciate the fighting spirit. I bring it every time I fight, so I think they'll appreciate that.... It's really tough to predict how he's going to approach it and what he's thinking. I think Clay kind of drew him into that fast pace, anyway. Maybe he'll come in and be more technical, or maybe he'll be the one who wants to push the pace. That's the kind of guessing game we'll be thinking about these next couple of months."
-- It's been more than one decade since Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) staged an event in the Far East. And when it finally returns with UFC 144 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on Feb. 25, 2012, it is bringing along one of its most durable, and exciting, assets, lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. "The Answer" has earned a reputation as one of the toughest fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) today, absorbing insane amounts of punishment and roaring back to dash the title aspirations of Gray Maynard on two separate occasions. And it's not going to get any easier when he takes on number one division contender, Ben Henderson, in the main event of the evening. Edgar tells Heavy MMA that he isn't really sure what to expect from "Smooth," a well-rounded and dynamic fighter who has also demonstrated remarkable resilience in past performances, on fight night. One thing that Edgar does know, however, is that he's going to let it all hang out for the Japanese fans in attendance to quietly marvel at for five rounds ... if it lasts that long.
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