Former back-to-back UFC lightweight contender Gray ‘The Bully’ Maynard (10-1-1, 1NC) has his next match scheduled for this June in Atlantic City when he meets fan favorite, Clay ‘The Carpetner’ Guida, in the main event of the UFC on FX 4 show.
Maynard suffered his first career loss in his last bout, falling to former champ Frankie Edgar by knockout at the UFC 136 show.
In a recent interview with Heavy.com, Maynard describes the UFC’s lightweight division as a “good soap opera that draws you in,” as well as how the matchup with Guida came about.
“The fight between Clay and I actually came out as a rumor a long time ago,” Maynard said. “Someone put it out there we were going to fight in Montreal, and even though it wasn’t true, it drew solid attention. The UFC saw this, and Joe Silva thought it was a great fight – so they made it happen.
“Since it has been out there, I’ve pretty much been gearing up for him for a while now. Guida has good takedowns, but I feel that is my area and what he lacks as a true athlete he makes up for in heart and toughness. Clay is well known for his cardio, but he also likes to mix it up and throw hands. He has a good chin, great heart and it’s a fun fight.
“The lightweight division is like a drama. It is like a good soap opera that draws you in because it’s not built up off bulls**t hype. There is no fake build-up where guys are talking a bunch of s**t in order to get fan’s attention. It’s all in the actual fights people are seeing, and it is the most competitive weight class in the UFC, hands down. The skill and heart displayed in our division is without comparison. We go out there, put it all on the line and get after it from bell to bell.”
Check out the entire interview by hitting the link above, and see what ‘The Bully’ has to say about leaving AKA, training in Brazil, and his overall mood now that he’s changed things up.