Entering his bout with UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn at UFC 112, there weren't all that many people who gave Frankie Edgar a chance to come back to the states with the title. Just as he has done throughout his life, Edgar once again defied the odds and defeated the man many consider to be one of the pound-for-pound best mixed martial artists alive.

Now as he gets set to battle Penn once again, Edgar is now the one with the bulls-eye on his back. Will he be able to silence the critics who claim that Penn was robbed? Edgar says all the right things and claims that none of the criticism is bothering him, but he is human after all and to have to hear the repeated cries that Penn wasn't himself that night in April has to get to him after awhile.

Thankfully Edgar has surrounded himself with a group of positive people and still calls the town in which he grew up home. It was those same people, the friends, the family and the neighbors who gave him a hero's welcome when he came back from Abu Dhabi with the championship title around his waist. This time around Edgar will be a bit closer to home as UFC 118 will take place in Boston, mere hours from Toms River, NJ.

Just how much has changed for the 28-year-old UFC veteran over the past four months? For a man like Edgar, he likes to keep things simple and go with what got him here.

"I am training for this fight just like I have trained for others in the past," said Edgar. "I am at Ricardo Almeida's gym most of the time, I am training my wrestling at Rutgers, I take some time out to train with Phil Nurse, I make my way to New York City and spend some time with Renzo Gracie and I have been training a bit with Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez.

"I feel great; everything is going according to plan. I really turned the intensity up about eight to ten weeks out," explained Edgar. "I am doing what I do year round and that is training to get better. Being that I knew I was fighting BJ right away it allowed me to focus on his style and his tendencies."

Penn has made some news lately with claims that Edgar was trying to duck him and take on Gray Maynard in his first title defense. According to Edgar this is simply not the case. He has the take on all comers attitude and it was no different this time around.

"I kind of expected that it was going to BJ again," offered Edgar. "It's the best possible fight I could have in the 155lb division. BJ has been a monster in this division for so long, a fight with him is much better than a fight I could have with anyone else."

By now everyone has seen Edgar's reaction when Bruce Buffer announced him as the new UFC lightweight champion. The look on his face was one of excitement as well as exhaustion. All the years of hard work had paid off for the diminutive Edgar.

"The feeling that I had at that moment was unreal, I really can't explain it to be honest with you," recalled Edgar of the moment Buffer announced his name. "It's been a long road to get to where I am and I'm able to say that I accomplished what...