UFC lightweight contender Gray ‘The Bully’ Maynard (10-0-1) has to wait a little longer before he gets another shot at the UFC title and the champ, Frankie Edgar.
Both men met on Jan. 1, fighting to a draw in the main event of UFC 125. A rematch was rescheduled for this coming weekends UFC 130 event, but Edgar pulled out the fight because of an injury. Maynard saw it as an opportunity to take some time off himself, having arthroscopic surgery to his knee and providing him with sufficient recovery time before he meets Edgar sometime this fall.
Maynard was a guest on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour with host Ariel Helwani to talk about injuries to both himself, and Edgar, what motivates him to fight, and much more.
Check the link above for the interview, as well as more quotes from Maynard who gives his thoughts on “trash talking” before a fight.
“[It was] just some old stuff that I’ve been kind of going through for the last couple camps,” Maynard said. “I was like, well, this is for a title so I got to push through it. …Then Edgar pulled out and it was an opportunity to heal up, and I took that opportunity…”
“I’m in this sport for one reason, and that’s to be at the top,” Maynard said. “The cash, all that stuff, it’s cool, but that’s not why I’m doing it. I’m not in it for that. I’m going to be the best. I want to be the best. I heard that, and you just don’t know what will happen. Will I have a chance again? If I do, it’ll take a long time. How am I going to change up things? You’ve just got all these emotions, and it’s hard to deal with. All your dreams and your goals, it could be gone.”