Reputations are earned in the fight game and there are few who would be considered more of a class act than Frankie Edgar.

The former UFC lightweight champion and featherweight title challenger has been competing with the best of the best for the better part of the past decade, and established himself among the elite in the process.

Edgar's bend-but-don't-break approach has been heralded by promotional brass and peers alike, and his grit inside the cage has garnered massive respect from his fellow fighters. During a recent appearance on Charlie Brenneman's "A Fighter's Mindset" podcast, the fighting pride of Toms River, New Jersey, dug into where his toughness and humility originated.

"I think it comes from my mother and father," Edgar said. "My mother is Italian and I could do no wrong. I was the best in the world at everything I did and that definitely gassed me up and helped my confidence. It definitely helped me at a young age and that's something I do with my kids as well.

"My dad was a hard worker. He owned his own plumbing company, get up at four or five every morning, work all day, come home to eat and then go back to the office to bid jobs and whatnot. Seeing my dad grinding every day and my mother driving me everywhere I had practices or tournaments; I saw the sacrifices they made to make sure I had a good life. Them being so goal-driven transferred to me."



Jul 6, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Frankie Edgar and Charles Oliveira during their Featherweight Bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Although Edgar would rise from the collegiate wrestling mats to become a world champion, his victory over self-doubt wasn't a quick turn. The scrappy feather traveled a long road to gain competitive focus and credits his aforementioned work ethic for helping him stay the course.

"Confidence is something I've always had when it comes to fighting, but I struggled with it a bit in wrestling because I wasn't successful right away," Edgar said. "I started fairly late, 7th grade actually, and only won like five matches my first year. Being a kid who was confident outside of wrestling that definitely messed with me, but when it came to fighting I thought I was the toughest guy in the world.

"My competitiveness and self-belief, almost blindly at times, helped me in fighting, and time in helped develop the traits and support to progress in the sport. I definitely had issues with confidence in wrestling though, and it took me a long time to learn how to adjust to that.

"I needed to learn how to compete and make sure I would be mentally ready for every match."

Anyone who has watched Edgar fight understands the output he delivers comes at a full-throttled pace. Even a decade into his career, the man is still pure kinetic energy and lionhearted, but technical framework ingrained by his coaches keeps everything in check.

"My teammates and coaches like Mark Henry and Ricardo Almeida are obsessed with making us better," Edgar said. "When they are giving me 100 percent I can't go in there and give them 50 percent, because it just doesn't work like that. I always say it takes a village to build a sports system because there are so many facets."



December 11, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Frankie Edgar lands a punch against Chad Mendes during The Ultimate Fighter Finale at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

While Edgar currently enjoys staying closer to home with a team of fighters who relocated to Toms River to train, both he and Brenneman were quick to recall a time when that wasn't the case.

"We have a unique setup here in New Jersey," Edgar explained. "We aren't like the big gyms like AKA or Jackson's where all the fighters and trainers are under one roof. We have to travel a bit to get everything in. Jersey is a small state, big population-wise, but it's a commuter state. Things are a bit different lately because I opened up my own wrestling school and fighters come here to train with me now, but it still gets tough.

"Guys come in from other states and see how much we travel and they are shocked. It may not sound like much but 45 minutes here and 45 minutes there is an hour and a half of your day where you are in a car and you get stiff after training. It wears on you, but I've always been willing to put in the extra work even at a young age."

"I tell kids and even my teammates now, if you are scared to get tired then you aren't working hard enough in practice," he added. "If you are working hard enough then that's not going to be a concern. I always push myself full out in practice where it's cardio or strength and conditioning I push it to the max because when it's go time I have no doubt I have the ability to keep pushing."

Edgar has spent the past few years pursuing a title in the 145-pound division, and it's been a run that has produced both success and frustration. A failed attempt to dethrone Jose Aldo marked his divisional debut back in 2013, but five-straight victories put the 34-year-old on the doorstep of a title shot Edgar was confident he deserved.

Nevertheless, the Conor McGregor show would swoop in and put divisional traffic at a stand still, which forced Edgar to step out of his typical reservations. Staying silent and holding the company line had paid zero dividends, and had he known going vocal would have produced the same result, it's a move Edgar says he would have never made.

That's simply not who he is.



December 11, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Frankie Edgar speaks at a press conference following his victory against Chad Mendes during The Ultimate Fighter Finale at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

"I was always told growing up the loud guy isn't the one you have to worry about. The quiet guy is," Edgar said. "That always sat with me. We've been in the room together and you know I joke around and that's who I am, but I'm always humble. It's crazy because you see the UFC kind of turning a different way and Conor McGregor bringing in a lot of attention.

"The squeaky wheel does get the oil, and I definitely opened my mouth when I wanted something, but I'm not going to start being something I'm not. I mean 10 years later I think people would see that as being a fraud. It's easy to stay grounded, because I have the same friends I've had since high school. My core group of people are still the same.

"Having kids and a family will definitely keep you grounded as well. You can be a world champ but still have to come home and change diapers. That will keep you humble."

With experience and so much time invested in the fight game, Edgar has been able to see and avoid many pitfalls that come with an elevated profile. The traps and obstacles that trip up other stars, he's been able to avoid, and he's done so by keeping the same values laid out in his youth.

Edgar has a tight-knit circle around him, and that's not something he'd ever be willing to change.

"Being the world champ and having people stroking that to no longer being there is a big change, and if I was a guy who hung out with big stars and things like that I'd probably feel it even more," Edgar said. "I don't even do after parties. People ask me all the time if I want to do them, but I'd much rather hang out with my team in the hotel room. We get a couple of beers, some junk food and hang out. Going through it all, you realize the people who are close to you are the ones who really matter.

"Having kids really helped me deal with the ups and downs. Both of my kids wrestle and there are some days the effort just isn't there. I tell them all the time I don't care if they win. I don't care if they get taken down every day in practice. The only thing I care about is putting the effort into what they are doing. If I'm giving full effort out there and still don't win, how can I be upset with myself when I tell my kids I won't be upset at them? Lead by example."