Date | October 8, 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Title(s) on the line | UFC Lightweight Championship | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tale of the tape | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Boxer | Frankie Edgar | Gray Maynard | |
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Nickname | "The Answer" | "The Bully" | |
Hometown | Toms River, New Jersey | Las Vegas, Nevada | |
Pre-fight record | 13–1–1 | 10–0–1-1 | |
Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | |
Weight | 155 lb (70 kg) | 155 lb (70 kg) | |
Style |
Boxing Wrestling Brazilian jiu-jitsu |
Boxing Wrestling |
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Recognition | UFC Lightweight Champion | Undefeated Challenger |
Frankie Edgar versus Gray Maynard is a series of Lightweight mixed martial arts bouts held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Between 2008 and 2011, the UFC booked three contests between the fighters. Edgar, the quicker of the two, utilized speed and precise striking.Maynard, the more accomplished wrestler, relied on power and ground control.
In April 2008, Maynard won their first meeting by decision. On January 1, 2011, the two met in a highly acclaimed rematch, in which Maynard challenged Edgar for the UFC Lightweight Championship. After the rematch resulted in a draw, Edgar won the third meeting by knockout in October 2011.
Prior to fighting in mixed martial arts, Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard each competed in amateur wrestling. Edgar became an All-American at Clarion University, graduating in 2005. Maynard, a three-time All-American who competed in the NCAA Championships, graduated from Michigan State University in 2003. In making the transition to MMA, Edgar utilized a successful combination of boxing, speed, and wrestling. Maynard, a powerful striker, largely relied on his ability to out-wrestle opponents.
After joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship's lightweight division, Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar fought for the first time on April 2, 2008 at UFC Fight Night 13. The event took place in Broomfield, Colorado. At the time of this encounter, both were undefeated. Edgar expressed confidence prior to the event, but remarked that he was "expecting a tough fight." Maynard stated, "Unless I get a good clean one in for the KO, I'm expecting a three-round brawl."