UFC:130 Edgar vs Maynard 3 Fight

It is very soon for the MMA world to change. The fans of Edgar vs Maynard fight were lukewarm and even utter pessimism of the projected rematch between them. They already gave us an early Fight of the Year contender for the main event to the UFC 125. UFC President Dana White in the early post-fight reports saw the record of Anthony Pettis and she is adamant for him to be the next opponent for Edgar for the final WEC Lightweight Championship. And it seems that White has gave in to the pressure of the situation, and the rematch will be in realization and these are the details.

Various internet sources like MMA Weekly have confirmed the rematch. When it comes to sports, Keven Iole of Yahoo! is the first man to get the newest updates and scoops. And according to his report, there is a change of mind of Dana White and he wanted immediately a rematch between Edgar and Maynard. There is no definite schedule for Edgar vs. Maynard 3 that has been announced in this report.

It would not just be another MMA fan calling or pressure for an immediate rematch if Anthony Pettis and the Whole WEC Lightweight Championship situation did not exist. We have high hopes for the fight of Edgar vs. Maynard 2 and even with that it has exceeded my expectations. Everyone knew it was going to be a great fight, and indeed it is a lot better than many people expect. The rematch between these fighters is absolutely a no-brainer, specifically when we will consider how divided the fanbase on who they thought would won.

For Anthony Pettis, it is completely unfair to him.

I came into my mind that it is unfair for Maynard for not having an immediate rematch however Anthony Pettis has done nothing wrong and should not be forced in the sidelines waiting. What are the picks for Pettis? He gave us the one of the best fights of all time and the greatest strike that ever happened in MMA history. Pettis earned his best shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship and he absolutely deserves a debut in the UFC main event. Shoving this incredibly humble and talented man is a total disservice to him.

Well, I’m waiting for the rematch of Edgar vs Maynard 3 with mixed feelings for it. It would be really an amazing match and both fighters will finally prove that they are not boring fighters, therefore they show definitely make the most of the moment by ending their epic rivalry. However, I am not comfortable with the thought of Anthony Pettis being basically shoved to the sidelines and having a long layoff prior of getting the title that he fully and unquestionably earned.

Do you have any thoughts about this rematch? How do you find the UFC Lightweight Championship situation?

Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard 3 Planned... It'll Be Great, But It's Completely Unfair To Anthony Pettis

Photo by Josh Hedges. Copyright Zuffa, LLC

Article Posted: January 2nd, 2011 | By: Oliver Saenz | Comments: 13 | Comment Now

How soon the MMA world changes. Many fans were lukewarm and even outright cynical of a proposed rematch between Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard, and now fans are clamoring for a rematch to the rematch now that both men recently gave us an early Fight of the Year contender in the main event of ufc 125. Early post-fight reports saw UFC President Dana White remain adamant that Anthony Pettis, the final WEC Lightweight Champion, would be the next man to get a shot at Edgar. Now it appears that White has succumbed to the peer pressure of the situation after all, and we will indeed be getting an immediate rematch. Here are all the details.

Several sources around the internet have already confirmed it, including MMA Weekly. Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports was apparently the first man to get the scoop. According to the report, Dana White has changed his mind and opted to make an immediate rematch between Edgar and Maynard. No definitive timetable for Edgar vs. Maynard 3 has been revealed as of this report.

Make no mistake, fans and friends: if Anthony Pettis and the whole WEC Lightweight Championship situation didn’t exist, I wouldn’t just be another MMA fan calling for an immediate rematch. I’d shove my way to the front of the line, grab a megaphone, and start leading the charge. I had some high hopes for Edgar vs. Maynard 2, and even with that in mind the fight outright exceeded my expectations. I knew it was going to be good, and a lot better than many people thought it would be, but even I wasn’t fully expecting the amazing performance both men turned in. The rematch is definitely a no-brainer, especially when you consider how divided the fanbase is becoming on who they thought won and why.

The only problem with this situation is that it’s completely unfair to Anthony Pettis.

I realize that not having an immediate rematch is unfair to Gray Maynard, but Anthony Pettis has done nothing wrong and shouldn’t be forced to wait on the sidelines. What’s the alternative for Pettis? Fight in the UFC for the WEC Lightweight Championship, a championship for a promotion that no longer exists? After he gave us one of the best fights of all time and, without a shadow of a doubt in my mind, the greatest strike that’s ever landed in MMA history? Pettis has earned his shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship, and he’s fully deserving of debuting in the UFC in a main event for one of it’s major championships. The man is incredibly humble and unbelievably talented, and shoving him to the sidelines is an outright disservice to him.

In the end, I’m honestly approaching Edgar/Maynard 3 with some mixed feelings. I know it’s going to be an amazing match, and I think it should be made. I think that both men have finally proven to everyone that they’re not boring fighters, so they should definitely capitalize on that momentum by finally closing out their epic rivalry. I just don’t like the fact that Anthony Pettis has basically been shoved under the rug through no fault of his own, and is looking at quite a long layoff before he ever gets the title shot that he fully, unquestionably earned.

And what about you, fans and friends? How do you feel about the UFC Lightweight Championship situation?

Source: http://www.fighters.com

White changes script: Edgar-Maynard 3 comes before Pettis gets his shot

At WEC 53, Anthony Pettis, a winner over WEC lightweight champ Ben Henderson, was guaranteed the next fight against the winner of Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard. There were two problems after Edgar and Maynard fought to a draw at UFC 125 earlier this evening - there was no winner and Dana White didn't have the heart to tell Maynard he wouldn't be getting an immediate rematch. 

"I hate to talk about what we're going to do with future fights at a press conference when a card has just ended," White told Yahoo!'s Kevin Iole.

"I had the whole Pettis thing with the belt on my mind and so I said, 'Yeah, Pettis gets the next shot.' But then when I thought about it more, how can I in good conscience not give that shot to Gray Maynard? It's a no-brainer. He came in there and he fought his ass off and he deserves that rematch. That was a great fight and they deserve to do it again."

Shortly after the decision was announced, some MMA bloggers were dismayed after seeing a tweet @UFCthat Pettis was getting his fight against Edgar over a immediate rematch.

It's a rough break for Pettis, who pulled off one of the nicest kicks in MMA history to seal his win in the fifth round against Henderson. 

The three judges were split on the decision. Glenn Trowbridge gave it 48-46 to Frank Edgar, Marcos Rosales had it 48-46 for Maynard while Patricia Morse-Jarman scored the fight a draw. White said he also scored it a draw.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com

UFC 130: 'Edgar vs. Maynard 3' official for May 28 in Las Vegas

After five grueling rounds and one surprising decision between UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar and undefeated number one contender Gray Maynard, we still don't have a "Resolution" to the division's blurry title picture.

Expect that to change in the main event of UFC 130 now that the promotion has made "Edgar vs. Maynard 3" official for May 28 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

After enduring a "Bully" beatdown in the first round of their UFC 125 headliner back on Jan. 1, Edgar somehow rebounded to battle Maynard to an unsatisfying draw after five rounds. It was a fantastic fight, which was a rematch that looked nothing like their original encounter back in 2008 that Maynard won convincingly with superior wrestling and raw power.

He came about as close as anyone could to finding "The Answer" to finishing Edgar. And perhaps that's the reason while he'll get a third chance to try it again before WEC 155-pound champion Anthony Pettis got his first opportunity.

"Showtime" has since elected to take a fight to stay active, facing off against the surging Clay Guida at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 13 Finale on June 4.

In addition to the "Edgar vs. Maynard 3" main event, UFC 130 will also feature former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson back inside the Octagon action against hard-hitting Brazilian slugger Thiago Silva.

In other action, TUF 10 Champion Roy Nelson will try to keep pace in the heavyweight division against former title holder Frank Mir.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more details on this still-developing fight card.

Source: http://www.mmamania.com

“UFC 130: Edgar vs. Maynard III” Fight Card Updated, Nine Bouts Confirmed

Now that UFC 128 is officially in the record books, the world’s biggest MMA show is steadily filling out the roster for “UFC 130: Edgar vs. Maynard III.” The May 28th event takes place inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Frankie Edgar will defend his lightweight title against Gray Maynard in the card’s featured attraction. It will mark the third time the 155-pounders have squared off.

They kicked off 2011 with a highly controversial draw at UFC 125. Maynard posted a convincing unanimous decision win over Edgar in their initial meeting back in April 2008.

Although it has yet to be officially announced, MMAJunkie reported Tuesday morning Spike TV will broadcast two free preliminary fights to start the festivities.

If the current bout order holds true, Miguel Torres vs. Brad Pickett and Thiago Alves vs. Rick Story will be featured in the hour-long lead-in show.

Here are the fighters expected to participate in the pay-per-view broadcast:

Preliminary Bouts:

Chris Cariaso vs. Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto*
Renan Barao vs. Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson
Kendall Grove vs Tim Boetsch

(Spike TV 8PM ET/5PM PT)

Miguel Torres vs. Brad Pickett
Thiago Alves vs. Rick Story

Main Bouts:

Jorge Santiago vs. Brian Stann
Travis Browne vs. Stefan Struve
Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Matt Hamill
Gray Maynard vs. Frankie Edgar (UFC Lightweight Champion)

* – Not confirmed by UFC

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Source: http://www.5thround.com

Get Mental: Who has the edge in the Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard trilogy fight at UFC 130?

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

"90-percent of the fight game is half mental."


That knowledge, which Tim Sylvia imparted to us, is perhaps the most evident when analyzing the epic five-round war of attrition between Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar and perennial top contender Gray Maynard at UFC 125. 


Edgar was coming in on the strength of two consecutive victories over the man many consider the greatest 155-pound fighter in the history of the sport, B.J. Penn. It's difficult to boost a fighter's confidence any more than with wins like that, especially considering the dominant nature with which he did so, at least in the second contest.


But he was also going into the New Year's event staring down his own personal "Bully." After all, Maynard is, to this day, the only man to find "The Answer" to the New Jersey native's elusive and effective game.


The unbelievable back-and-forth battle that ensued became an instant classic.
Gray blitzed Frankie in the opening round, knocking him down multiple times while having his way with him to every corner of the cage. It was more than a simple shellacking. Considering the fact that Maynard came into the fight already ahead 1-0 in the series, it was utterly demoralizing -- or at least it should have been. 


But Edgar didn't get to become champion by being weak-willed.


He stormed back to control the second round, tagging his opponent and positioning himself to battle his way to the scorecards. The fact the judges decided the fight was a draw, whether you agree with that ruling or not, is nearly irrelevant.


Edgar overcame the adversity of completely getting his ass handed to him by the only man to ever defeat him. His intestinal fortitude in the face of such a challenge deserves the recognition it's so far failed to receive.


But will he go into the next fight with the edge mentally, knowing he took took Maynard's best shot(s) and nearly came back to defeat him? His "answer" (via Sports Illustrated):

"It's hard to say who has the mental edge, if anyone. You know, he may have tasted it from being so close, and now he's super-motivated. And there are a lot of ways for me to look at that last fight, too: as a guy who barely got through it or as a survivor. I don't know how he approaches it, but I know I'm fired up to settle things. I'm a competitor, so it doesn't matter what the situation is. I know that every time I step in there I'm going to compete."

There is certainly merit to the idea that Edgar "barely survived" that first round. But what of the next four?


No doubt, Maynard knows he can defeat the champion heading into the trilogy bout at UFC 130 on May 28 in Las Vegas. But will he be as confident after his inability to finish the job on Jan. 1?
We know their skill-sets match-up incredibly evenly. So who has the edge when it comes to the old noggin?

Source: http://www.mmamania.com