If Frankie Edgar thought it was safer to try Brian Ortega on the feet, he was mistaken.
The unbeaten Ortega became the first man to finish “The Answer,” as he wiped out the notoriously durable Edgar with punches in the opening round of their UFC 222 co-main event on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It came to a surprising and dramatic conclusion 3:25 into Round 1, leaving Ortega as the unquestioned No. 1 contender to the Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight throne.
All appeared to be going according to plan for Edgar, who used crafty footwork and a decided speed advantage to unleash multi-punch volleys to the body and head.