How big a surprise was Frank Edgar's victory over Sean Sherk at UFC 98? So big that UFC President Dana White thought it was impossible.
"My feeling was, there's no way possible for Frankie Edgar to win this fight," White told Mike Straka of Fox News Fight Game. "He came in with the most incredible game plan I've ever seen, and fought literally the perfect fight. ... He looked phenomenal tonight."
Edgar's surprising win completely shakes up the UFC lightweight division. Sherk was previously viewed as the gatekeeper in a division where BJ Penn is the champion and Kenny Florian is the No. 1 contender, but now that Edgar has blown that gate open, several fighters -- including Edgar, Gray Maynard, Tyson Griffin and the winner of the upcoming Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida fight -- can make a strong case that they deserve a shot at the Penn-Florian winner.
I don't think White is going to give Edgar a title shot without at least one more impressive win, but I do think White -- like everyone -- is done going into fights expecting Edgar to lose.