The grudge match set for Saturday night between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard has been highly anticipated.The two have been destined to fight each other since their last match against one another on New Year’s Day of this year ended in a draw.Edgar wi…
The grudge match set for Saturday night between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard has been highly anticipated.
The two have been destined to fight each other since their last match against one another on New Year’s Day of this year ended in a draw.
Edgar will come in as the champion, but I’m not so sure that Maynard isn’t the favorite coming in. Edgar has never been able to overcome Maynard and Edgar narrowly escaped an early onslaught from Maynard in that match back on Jan. 1.
In a story by Dave Deibert that appeared in the Vancouver Sun, Edgar sure didn’t sound like a fighter who felt like the underdog against Maynard:
“If he’d won the last time again, I’d say ‘Yeah he has my number.’ I just gotta win,” said Edgar.
Maynard seems sure of himself as well. In the same story, he had this to say about the opportunity in front of him:
“I feel as if I’m prepared,” said Maynard. “I’m not like, ‘Uh, I don’t know if I did this right, if I did that right.’ Everything is all done. It’s time to have fun.”
If either fighter has any concerns ahead of the fight, they aren’t showing it.
In the end, I think there is something to the fact that Maynard has fought so well against Edgar.
He clearly has a good game plan for getting to him, and while Edgar managed to fight his way back after Maynard was pummeling him early in their last match, that match was on the verge of being over almost before it started.
This time around, I think Maynard comes out quickly but finishes Edgar off before he has a chance to mount a comeback.
Filed under: UFCLast time on Fighter vs. Writer, Michael Bisping picked with his heart rather than his head at UFC 135, and it cost him the victory against yours truly.
With UFC 136 nearly upon us, I challenged former Strikeforce light heavyweight cha…
With UFC 136 nearly upon us, I challenged former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion and noted agent provocateur of Twitter, “King” Mo Lawal. There are few fighters more knowledgeable about the fight game (or more confident in their own knowledge of the fight game) than Lawal, so I have my work cut out for me.
As usual, we’ll start at the top of the card and work our way down. Mr. Lawal, you have the honors…
Lawal: Maynard via decision. “I love both fighters. Frankie’s a soldier, and so is Gray. Gray’s Team Thirsty. But I think Gray can pull off the decision, get a few takedowns early on and then coast. But if Frankie starts fast, he could be in trouble.” Fowlkes: Edgar via decision. He surprised me last time with how well he dealt with Maynard’s wrestling skills, and that was after getting dropped and nearly finished. I think he sticks and moves his way to a win, and we can all finally move on our lives.
Lawal: Florian via decision. “This whole card is fighters I like, but man, I think Kenny’s going to pull it off. The southpaw stance, the elusiveness, inside leg kicks, and takedowns. I think he pull it off that way.” Fowlkes: Aldo via decision. I just don’t see Florian being able to wrestle his way to a win before Aldo tenderizes his thighs with those kicks. The champ is too fast and has too many weapons at his disposal. Another weight class where Florian is better than everybody but the very best.
Lawal: Sonnen via decision. “I like Brian Stann, but I got to go with the wrestler on this one. Chael’s my boy. …His double-leg is tricky. No one’s figured out how to stop it. They all try and guillotine him and it never works. They get taken down. I don’t know how Brian Stann’s going to be able to stop that.” Fowlkes: Stann via decision. I agree that the takedown will be hard to stop, but if Stann can manage it I think this becomes his fight to lose. Sonnen’s been off for over a year, and Stann’s had a lot of time to hang out in the gym and plan on how to shut down the double-leg.
Lawal: Nobody. “I think this fight’s going to be a disappointment. Not a disappointment, but there’s going to be more game-planing, and it’ll be more technical than people think. It’s a toss-up. It’s going to come down to who made the adjustments.” Even when pressed, Lawal refused to make a pick. You know what that means. Now he can only get the win on this one if it ends in a draw or, as has actually happened before, doesn’t take place at all. Fowlkes: Phan via decision. I expect Garcia to show up telling himself he’s not just going to brawl, but then I expect him to get hit once and forget all about that. If Phan can avoid getting sucked into a street fight, like I think he can, he outpoints Garcia clearly enough this time that even the worst judges can’t miss it.
Melvin Guillard vs. Joe Lauzon
Lawal: Guillard via TKO. “Stoppage. First round. I think he’s much better, much more dynamic, and he’s more mature now. He’s a different fighter.” Fowlkes: Guillard via TKO. I don’t know if it’ll come in the first round, but it will come. I don’t see Lauzon being able to get him on the mat, at least not for very long, and Guillard is too fast and too powerful on the feet.
Mo Lawal picks: Maynard, Florian, Sonnen, Nobody, Guillard Ben Fowlkes picks: Edgar, Aldo, Stann, Phan, Guillard
Googling Edgar vs. Maynard yields thousands of news articles from across the globe. Every conceivable detail of the fighters and their careers is expounded upon.Their previous two bouts are dissected under a microscope. Pundits and fighters give their …
Googling Edgar vs. Maynard yields thousands of news articles from across the globe. Every conceivable detail of the fighters and their careers is expounded upon.
Their previous two bouts are dissected under a microscope. Pundits and fighters give their opinions about who will win this third fight and why. Videotaped interviews with Maynard and Edgar abound on MMA Internet sites. The UFC produced a one-hour Countdown show on Spike TV and the fighters sat down for a pre-fight presser.
The two dedicated competitors earned this widespread attention because of the grit they displayed in their previous draw. The anticipation to finally obtain resolution is compelling, but the reason for the interest in this bout goes deeper.
In the absence of braggadocio and fight hyping—a la Rampage and Chael Sonnen—Frankie and Gray come across as down-to-earth athletes trying to achieve greatness. It’s an everyman’s struggle we relate to on a visceral level. It’s the battle against fear you had as a kid, crossing the schoolyard in front of the neighborhood bully. Maynard’s nickname fits the script perfectly.
This fight represents a clash of wills more captivating than most MMA championship matchups. These are not huge terrifying fighters with a swath of KOs in their past. These are not invincible superheroes. These are not flamboyant, colorful or loud attention seekers.
We are enraptured by this fight because Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar are “real” people doing what we all quietly wish to do—fight the good fight and win. We can see ourselves in the humble Edgar: unassuming and vulnerable. His nickname, “The Answer” leads us to ask, what is the question?
We can also relate to the hard-nosed Maynard: single-minded and resolute, a simple man of few words striving to overcome the one obstacle in his journey to the top.
Edgar is often referred to as a small lightweight who could easily compete at 145 or even 135 pounds against men of equal stature. Instead, he chooses to slay dragons at 155 pounds like the legendary BJ Penn, who he beat twice.
Maynard will walk into the cage at UFC 136 somewhere near 170 pounds. In taking on larger opponents, Edgar dons the cloak of David against Goliath, and bears the burden of Atlas carrying the world on his back. He symbolizes the quest of everyman to take on the giant obstacles in life.
I’m glad there is a Frankie Edgar out there to show the way, to set an example that hard work and dedication can yield the impossible. He is a man unafraid to tilt at windmills, to fight the seemingly unwinnable battles, and a man who will lay it all on the line for what he believes.
Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar are a rare “match made in heaven” when it comes to MMA. Both men are primarily wrestlers, but have developed solid striking and grappling to add to their arsenals. At UFC 125 in January, these men put on what will mo…
Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar are a rare “match made in heaven” when it comes to MMA. Both men are primarily wrestlers, but have developed solid striking and grappling to add to their arsenals.
At UFC 125 in January, these men put on what will most likely become fight of the year for 2011.
Round 1 of that fight was one of the worst overall beatdowns in which an opponent wasn’t finished in MMA history. What made that first down special was the fact that Frankie came back and ended up winning the second round.
The fight ended in a draw, and raised questions about Anthony Pettis getting a UFC title shot. Later that night Dana White announced that there would indeed be a rematch, and that has led to where we are today.
Injuries arose, so the fight was postponed, and now both men are healthy and ready to go.
This fight has the potential to be just as exciting as the last fight, but with both men playing it smart and doing whatever it takes to not make a mistake.
Maynard proved last fight that his wrestling translated to MMA has improved. Edgar also proved that he may have the biggest heart in the sport today. From this fight, there are many “what ifs” that have occurred.
What if Maynard would’ve paced himself, and didn’t almost gas after the first round?
That is the main question, and lucky for the fans and Maynard, we all may see Gray pace himself and become the new UFC Lightweight Champion of the World.
On paper, Frankie Edgar is the favorite. Maynard dominated the first fight with his wrestling from start to finish. The second, Gray won only two of the five rounds, but the first round was by a score of 10-8.
Who truly has the advantage?
Taking away belts and putting each other side by side, a lot of people say that Edgar will reign supreme, but is that true?
The speed advantage goes to Edgar. While overall Maynard may be the better wrestler, the speed of Edgar truly balances that out.
When it comes to size and power, it is all Gray Maynard. That being said, once again, the speed of Frankie Edgar really makes things difficult. The last fight proved that if Maynard connects, that it can be bad for Edgar.
Mentally, Edgar takes it here. In the last fight, 90 percent of fighters would’ve given up, but Edgar did not let that get to him, and he prevailed.
When it comes down to the gas tank, Edgar is clearly the favorite. While he is the smaller of the two, he is terribly fast and has excellent footwork. He never slows down from start to finish, and this could be the difference in the fight.
Overall this is a very even match up. Edgar wins this fight if he dictates the pace from the beginning and takes the center of the octagon. Maynard takes this fight if he plays a smart gameplan, picks his shots and doesn’t throw out his gameplan early in the fight.
Expect many fireworks from these two lightweight warriors, and be sure to see live up to date action and news at Bleacher Report MMA.
UFC 136 will take place live from Houston tomorrow night. While a lot of tomorrow night’s focus will be on the second title fight of the night between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, there is one fighter who has even more at stake. Kenny Florian …
UFC 136 will take place live from Houston tomorrow night.
While a lot of tomorrow night’s focus will be on the second title fight of the night between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, there is one fighter who has even more at stake.
Kenny Florian (15-5) will challenge Jose Aldo for the featherweight championship in the co-main event.
Over the years, Florian been one of the best fighters in the UFC. When it comes to a major fight though, Florian has been looked at as one of MMA’s biggest chokes.
In the middleweight final of Ultimate Fighter Season 1, Florian lost to Diego Sanchez.
Following the loss, Florian would go on to drop to welterweight, then lightweight, winning three straight.
The winning streak put Florian in position to fight for the vacant UFC lightweight title.
At UFC 64, Florian faced former welterweight contender Sean Sherk for the lightweight title. Sherk outwrestled Florian to earn a unanimous decision victory.
Florian would go on to win his next six fights, five of which ended by submission or knockout.
The winning streak made him the top contender once again. This time around, Florian would have to face a man he claimed he looked up to, BJ Penn.
During the UFC 101 main event, Florian repeatedly tried to take Penn down, but was unable to. In the fourth round, Penn was able to take Florian down and eventually submit him with a rear-naked choke.
Florian had once again climbed his way to the top of the division only to lose in the biggest fight of his career.
After wins against Clay Guida and Takanori Gomi, Florian found himself fighting in a No. 1 contender’s match against Maynard.
The fight had a special meaning for Florian as it was the first time the UFC had ever been in his home state of Massachusetts. Florian was once again dominated by wrestling as Maynard repeated took him to the ground and kept him there.
After the loss and a knee injury, Florian decided to change weight divisions again, this time dropping to featherweight.
At UFC 131, Florian was successful at his featherweight debut, defeating Aldo’s teammate Diego Nunes.
Florian now finds himself back in a title fight, almost five years to the date after he lost his first shot at UFC gold.
At age 35, this could be the last chance Florian gets at a title. A win would without a doubt be the defining moment of his career.
Because he has lost every big fight in his career, Florian has been called a choke. A win would not only put the featherweight title on Florian, but also lift a huge burden that has been on his shoulder for years.
Tomorrow night, Ken-Flo can make history and finally prove that he has what it takes to be a UFC champion.
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