Gray Maynard (bottom) is a world-class wrestler who’s advancing his skills in every other area of the MMA game, but his almost year-long lay-off could prove detrimental in his UFC 160 bout. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)
UFC 160 broadcasts live from Las Vegas, Nevada’s MGM Grand Garden Arena this Saturday and has a main card like no other for the fight capital of the world to display. KJ Noons (11-6) makes his UFC debut against “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (19-5) in the card’s opener. A pair of light heavyweight sluggers grace the card with Glover Teixeira (20-2) meeting James Te Huna (16-5) in the anchor. In the co-main event, “Cigano” Junior Dos Santos (15-2) will look to bounce back from his recent loss as he’s paired against “The Super Samoan” Mark Hunt (9-7). “Bigfoot” Antonio Silva (18-4) will try to avenge a 2012 loss when he challenges Cain Velasquez (11-1) for the heavyweight title. In the middle of all the action, a lightweight title eliminator is set between “The Bully” Gray Maynard (11-1-1) and TJ Grant (20-5). Maynard is once again inching closer to a title shot while Grant has never been close to the same chance until now. Come Saturday, there will be a new lightweight challenger waiting to make his claim for 12 pounds of gold.
At First Glance: With new talent coming in from Strikeforce, contenders changing weight classes, and the current king, “Smooth” Benson Henderson (19-2), defeating all that oppose him, there is plenty of space for the rest of the lightweight division to seize that coveted challenger slot. Gray Maynard had two attempts at the title gone wrong but after a successful return to the Octagon against “The Carpenter” Clay Guida (30-13), he sees himself in prime position to campaign for the belt again. TJ Grant has been making strides silently since dropping down to the lightweight division, but has surely gained attention. While he has just broken into the top 10 of the weight class, a win over Maynard would not only skyrocket Grant’s stock but would ultimately earn him the label of “challenger”.
In Depth: Maynard’s run towards the top of the division has been attributed primarily to his wrestling prowess. As an NCAA Div. I champion for three years straight, “The Bully” has found a way to mesh his collegiate wrestling with mixed martial arts. The end result is plenty of ability to maintain top control and rain a hearty display of ground-and-pound that have troubled some of the best submission artists at 155 such as “No Love” Rich Clementi (45-22) and “Kenflo” Kenny Florian (14-6). Grant’s Jiu-Jitsu could grant him the opportunity to catch Maynard if he’s off-guard, however he might excel even more standing. The former welterweight may be a grappler at heart but his recent wins over Evan Dunham (14-4) and a highlight reel knockout over “Handsome” Matt Wiman(15-7) have shown Grant’s vast improvements in striking. Maynard has power in his exchanges as well but with a penchant to solely box, it is Grant’s more versatile striking that renders him the potentially more dangerous pugilist.
The Wild Card: Grant is facing a higher level in competition without a doubt. The edge that can play heavily into his favor is Maynard’s lack of activity. June 2012 was the last time Maynard graced the Octagon and with a knee injury sidelining him from UFC 155, ring rust is a definite factor to be considered. Grant fought and won a pair of bouts in that same period and made his mark in the lightweight division while doing so. Grant is riding a heavy wave of momentum and if Maynard is sluggish in his return, he might just ride that same wave up a few notches in the division’s rankings.
The Verdict: Grant has the tools necessary to get the job done Saturday night. He has the stand-up skills to trouble anyone and the ground game to at least get by should he find himself on the ground. Plus with Maynard’s lay-off, no better opportunity could be afforded for Grant to pull off a win and seize an opportunity to challenge for the lightweight strap. The problem though might be experience. Maynard has stayed on top of the division for so long for good reason. While he remains confident in his pugilism, Maynard likely will opt to fall back on his wrestling to control Grant and slug his way to a decision. Maynard via Unanimous Decision
