Yves Edwards hopes to teach Tony Ferguson a lesson at TUF 14 Finale

Yves Edwards was coming up in the ranks of MMA when his opponent Saturday, Tony Ferguson, was still in the midst of earning a high school diploma.

For the seasoned veteran this bout is all about proving he still has what it takes to compete against the best in the world inside the Octagon. The “Thugjitsu Master” is 7-2 in his last nine fights including a second round TKO over Rafaello Oliveira earlier this year. With a record of 41-17-1, including seventeen wins by submission and fifteen via knockout, it is quite obvious Edwards has plenty of experience to rely on come showtime.

“There’s an old saying that you’re only as good as your last fight, but I think, with the way the world works, and how visible things are now, you’re only as good as the last fight people have seen you in,” said Edwards, in a recent interview with the UFC’s website. “So the fact that some people haven’t seen my fight with Oliveira, even though they know the result, the last thing seared into their brain is me and (Sam) Stout.”

Edwards was defeated by Stout at UFC 131 via knockout, snapping his three-fight win streak. But, just like he has done his entire career, Edwards got right back on the horse and began training for his next fight.

“That’s where experience comes into play,” Edwards said. “When you do something so many times, over and over again, the little subtleties of it become things that you use to your advantage, but you also take for granted because you don’t think about them. Subconsciously you know those little details and know how to work around them or work with them.”

Edwards, who is 35 years old and has been in the sport for fourteen years, takes on Ultimate Fighter winner Ferguson this weekend at the Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale from Las Vegas. The card airs on Spike starting at 8:00 PM EST with Edwards vs. Ferguson serving as one of the featured bouts. The show will feature a headliner between TUF 14 coaches Michael Bisping and Jason Miller as well as the season’s tournament finals.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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MMATraining Take: Edwards will have to be on the lookout for the KO power of Ferguson, who has won each of his last five fights via some form of TKO or knockout. The experience Edwards has will only do him good if he can avoid the heavy hands of Ferguson.