Frankie Edgar has agreed to replace Brian Ortega against Chan Sung Jung on weeks’ notice in the featherweight main event of UFC Busan on Dec. 21, but wasn’t pulled from his bantamweight debut against Cory Sandhagen just a month later.
It remains to be seen if Edgar will be healthy enough to take another fight after a potential five-round clash with “The Korean Zombie” in South Korea, so Brazilian bantamweight Pedro Munhoz wants to save the company by replacing “The Answer” against Sandhagen on Jan. 25.
“We’re seven weeks away from that card and I’ve been training hard to fight in December already, so that would be a great date for me,” Munhoz told MMA Fighting. “He’s ranked No. 3 and I’m No. 6, so this fight makes sense.”
UFC Raleigh will be headlined by Junior dos Santos vs. Curtis Blaydes at heavyweight, and the main card also includes another former champion in Rafael dos Anjos, taking on Michael Chiesa at welterweight.
“It would be an exciting fight for the fans because we both go for the knockout at all times,” Munhoz said of Sandhagen. “We would save the co-main event and put on a great fight.”
Sandhagen (12-1) won his last seven, five under the UFC banner. The 27-year-old prospect went 3-0 in 2019 with wins over John Lineker, Raphael Assuncao and Mario Batista.
Munhoz (18-4, 1 no-contest) scored back-to-back knockouts against Bryan Caraway and Cody Garbrandt before dropping a decision to Aljamain Sterling in June. “The Young Punisher” has won seven of his last nine in the UFC.