Bleacher Report’s James Ryan:
They say that three times is a charm, although I’m not exactly sure who “they” are…
Perhaps they are gypsies? Or fortune tellers? Or Bas Rutten in the flesh?
I don’t really know, but I do know that the current UFC Lightweight Champion, Frankie “the Answer” Edgar, had better hope that luck is on his side on the 28th of May, when he is set to face-off for the third time in his professional MMA career (second time consecutively) against his old nemesis, Gray “the Bully” Maynard, at UFC 130 in Las Vegas.
After two previous meetings, it is apparent that Maynard holds the advantage against Edgar, despite fighting to what was a very exciting draw at UFC 125. The first encounter between these two warriors was approximately three years ago at UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Lauzon, which saw Maynard win via unanimous decision (hence the edge).
Edgar has yet to redeem that loss, and like any competitive athlete, I would have to think that it weighs heavily on his mind from time to time (yeah…that’s an understatement).
If Edgar plans to retain his belt for a third successive title defense, he had better hope for a better game plan than simply surviving the first round. As impressive as Edgar was for weathering the storm, I wouldn’t think that he would be so lucky a second time around.
If he finds himself in trouble again like the last time, I don’t see this fight going the full distance—a rarity for both fighters.