Gray Maynard (Photo/Eric Williams, www.ericwilliams.LA)Fresh off his victory against Kenny Florian at UFC 118 in Boston, Massachusetts, Gray Maynard sits on a return flight home next to close friend Rashad Evans. The two MMA rising stars reflect on all things; as Rashad is also a former Michigan State wrestler, former roommate, and former light heavyweight UFC champion. Gray and Rashad share more than being just MSU wrestling alumni; they are both in line for title shots in their respective weight classes for the UFC.
Gray's journey started in Las Vegas, led him to Ohio, Michigan, Arizona, and finally he has found his place again in Las Vegas where it all started. Now, back home and with wrestling close to his heart, UFC president Dana White has confirmed that Maynard is next in line for a lightweight UFC title shot against former Clarion wrestler Frankie Edgar, a fighter Maynard already owns a win over.
Before talks of UFC greatness, championships, and sponsorships from boxing giants like Everlast, Maynard was an undefeated state wrestling champion in Nevada. After his sophomore year, Maynard made way to Ohio and left his friends and family in Vegas to pursue a college scholarship from his wrestling talents.
"My dad wrestled in Ohio and was a two-time state champ," said Maynard. "I had to get out there. We didn't have the money to pay for college, so I needed the exposure and scholarship and I knew how tough it is in the state of Ohio, so it was the place to go."
Maynard enrolled at St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio, one of the nation's premiere high school wrestling programs. He excelled on the wrestling mat, finishing his senior year as a state champion and nationally-ranked wrestler on the nation's No. 1 high school team.
"I try to keep up with St. Edward High School," said Maynard. "It's a great school, great people, a wonderful community. I love it."
Gray Maynard (Photo/AmateurWrestlingPhotos.com) "My heart was really geared towards Iowa," said Maynard. "Gable, Brands ... They were some of my idols. That's all I looked up to. But it came down to timing."
His college head coach at Michigan State, Tom Minkel, saw things he liked in Maynard right from the get-go.
"Like all freshmen, he was green," said Minkel. "But what was clear was his work ethic and his intensity."
Minkel went on to further explain his former athlete's MMA success.
Tom MinkelAfter his collegiate wrestling career, Maynard packed his bags and moved to Arizona in search of work and the next stage in his life. He trained on and off with other wrestlers like the late Steven Blackford and MMA rising star Eric Larkin, both former Arizona State All-Americans, and tried to keep active, which proved to be difficult.
"The three of us tried to train and keep at it, but it just got to be too tough," said Maynard. "The bills, the time invested ..."
A year later, Maynard returned home to Las Vegas, but the competitive fire burned within him.
"You can't just stop training, but all I was doing was jogging and stuff," said Maynard. "I was like, 'Oh, my God ... This is so boring!"
Gray Maynard (Photo/Eric Williams, www.ericwilliams.LA)"I mean Troy Mandaloniz, Kendall Grove, Jay Hieron, Jason Miller, Phil Baroni ... These guys were all here and all still in smaller venues and shows," said Maynard. "I went in there to try it and it was cool. It was a lot better than jogging."
Gray Maynard's reputation for his grappling was spreading in the MMA community ... and suddenly opportunity arose.
"Word got back to B.J. Penn's camp in Hawaii," said Maynard. "I'm sure it was Kendall and Troy."
B.J. Penn, fresh of winning the UFC welterweight division, was preparing for an upcoming bout away from the UFC in Japan against Rodrigo Gracie. He invited Maynard to Hawaii to help him train in wrestling/takedown defense, among other things.
"I didn't know much about MMA, and after helping B.J. Penn train, I thought that MMA was pretty cool, but I didn't know it was for me."
"I went to Xtreme Couture and Randy was super open, great, and kind to me. He invited me to come in. They kicked my butt. I loved how they trained. It was hard work, easy to adopt. It was like wrestling, pretty much. The training, drilling, just going in there and getting at it. It wasn't slow-paced like jiu-jitsu practice can be, it was real actual practice. That's when it really clicked, I was thinking, oh my god, I'm quitting my job, this is for me, I'm doing this, this is it."
After a few smaller venue fights, Maynard became weary of the last-minute cancellations, shady promoters, and inconsistency, among other things, common in small-venue MMA shows.
"The TV show (The Ultimate Fighter) opportunity came up and I was all for it," said Maynard. "It might have been too soon and too early for me, but oh well. I got myself out there and kick-started my career."
Gray MaynardDespite Maynard's success in the Octagon, he has been criticized by some in the MMA world for not being exciting enough. Some label him a boring fighter because of the fact that he has just one knockout in 10 fights.
Maynard, though, doesn't let the opinions of others change his game plan.
"I love to win," said Maynard. "I really love winning. Losing eats me up. It really does. I appreciate Gil Martinez and Neil Melanson. All those guys, they really care about me and this sport. We work hours and hours on our game plan. So how would that be if I just slapped them in the face and said, 'I'm doing whatever.' That would be too disrespectful. I fight to win."
Unlike some former amateur wrestlers who hear complaints that wrestlers are too boring, then try and change up their strategies and become stand up fighters over night, Maynard doesn't try to change his style and sticks to what he knows and loves best.
"So, I just stick to the plan, I try to. I love to win, I hate to lose, and we ask for the top guys. The guys I went through, I don't see anyone else finishing the guys that I went through to get my title shot. I went through the top guys, the championship fights and the gap between the top guys is getting closer. We are all training all year round. Guys have the cash for the food, training, and coaching. The gap is getting closer and closer."
When asked if his previous victory over current champ Frankie Edgar makes him cocky or extremely confident going into the rematch, Maynard answers, "That was two years ago, we have both grown, it will be a different fight, and tougher than the first.
Fighting a former wrestler doesn't bother Gray Maynard in the least, but he'd rather not.
"Wrestling is a great sport, I love it, great people. We cheer for one another when we aren't competing against one another. Good people, great work ethics. This sport is been so good to me. I love it. It has helped me in all aspects and help overcome everything I've been through."
Gray Maynard defeated Frankie Edgar on April 2, 2008Maynard was unaware of Frankie Edgar while they were both wrestling in college, separated by two weight classes and Gray's focus to become an NCAA champion.
"I thought I was going to be a three-time NCAA champ," said Maynard. "I mean, I thought I was good and thought it was going to happen. When it didn't, I couldn't believe it. It just ate me up, big time. This was my dream, I wasn't thinking Olympics when I was a kid. All I dreamed about was being a NCAA champion. I hate losing. "
Gray Maynard's inability to win a national championship has led him to a disciplined MMA career and a humbled undefeated record. If he can repeat his previous victory against Frankie Edgar, he can ease that pain of not being an NCAA champion by becoming the next UFC lightweight world champion.
Not a bad second chance and opportunity.
For all the latest news on Gray Maynard, visit http://www.GrayMaynard.com.
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