Flashback Fridays is a series by MMA Ratings looking back at great fights in mixed martial arts history. These fights are more than just amazing slugfests with two competitors winging punches in the middle of the cage or ring. They are pivotal moments in the sport and the careers of the parties involved. These fights either cemented fighters as all-time greats or set them on the path towards becoming the fan favorites they are today. The best part is that with UFC Fight Pass, many of these fights are just a few clicks away.
Flashback to January 1, 2011. UFC 125 was set in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden arena. The main event bout featured a rematch between then lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and the only man to defeat him at that time, Gray Maynard.
Edgar was still a champion that much of the fanbase questioned. Even after he stomped B.J. Penn at UFC 118, many experts were looking for him to drop the title to Maynard in this defense, especially when they looked at the way “The Bully” soundly defeated Edgar back at UFC Fight Night 13 three years earlier. Maynard had all the reason to be confident heading into this fight, and for a moment it would seem like that confidence would pay off.
When UFC 125 is brought up, the images of Edgar stumbling around the cage early in round one are the first things that come to mind. Maynard landed powerful shot after powerful shot that dropped the champion multiple times. When someone asks for an example of a clear cut 10-8 (and nearly a 10-7) round, the first five minutes of Edgar vs. Maynard II leaps to the front of the list.
However, Edgar would not be deterred. Bloody face and all, he would somehow survive the round and make it to the stool to answer the bell for round two. While his footwork looked shaky at the start, he rebounded to take the second round of the fight and show that he was far from being finished.
Round three is the questionable round that brings up the most debate. Both men were very active in this round. Statistically, Maynard landed 17 of 32 significant strikes compared to 21 of 46 by Edgar. Maynard scored two takedowns, but he struggled to keep Edgar on his back, as the champion would immediately scramble back to his feet or stay offensive while on the ground.
Rounds four and five continued the pace of back and forth action that saw both men have their fair share of success. As the fight ended, no one had a clear cut idea of who would get his hand raised in victory. The judges were equally undecided in their scoring of the bout. Patricia Jarman scored the bout a 47-47 draw, giving Edgar rounds 2 through 4 and Maynard round five 10-9 and round one 10-8. Marcos Rosales also scored round one a 10-8, but he believed Edgar won every other round for a 48-46 final score. Glenn Trowbridge scored the fight 48-46 for Maynard; awarding him rounds 1, 3 and 5.
This fight was an important point in the careers of both men. At that time, the lightweight division was the smallest weight class in the UFC and fans often complained about the “little guys.” However, the performances by Edgar and Maynard were so exciting that the bout can be seen as one of the most important lightweight bouts of this generation of MMA, a catalyst for 155 pounds becoming one of the most enjoyable divisions in the sport. Edgar would go on to get that much needed victory against Maynard when he stopped his rival via TKO at UFC 136 in October of the same year. He went on to become one of the most important lightweights the sport has ever seen, and a fan favorite across the board. Now he’s one of the top featherweights in the world, and he is one victory away from becoming the clear-cut number one contender to the featherweight title. His next bout is set against Chad Mendes this coming December at the TUF 22 Finale.
Maynard, on the other hand, has fallen hard off of the rails. Since that fateful night he only has one victory in six Octagon appearances. The more telling part is the fact that he’s been violently knocked out in four of those fights. Even widely unknown Alexander Yakolev dropped him when they fought at UFC Fight Night 63. Many experts believe that Maynard’s career should be over out of fears for his long-term health.
Future aside, the UFC 125 main event contest between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard is a fight worth revisiting. Both of these lightweights embodied the saying of “leaving it all in the cage” as they battled for the most important title in the weight class. Edgar came out on top and has experienced the most success, but both men will remain inextricably linked to each other in MMA history.
11. Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard (Lightweight Championship bout): Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard fought to a split draw (48-46, 48-46, 47-47).
Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard were each awarded $60,000 bonuses for Fight of the Night.
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