Gray Maynard
Fans weren’t particularly enthused about Gray Maynard getting a title shot against lightweight champion Frankie Edgar in 2011 due to the fact he was known to grind out decision victories, but no one could complain about his undefeated 12-fight career record that included a previous win over ‘The Answer’ three years earlier.
However, their title fight turned out to be a classic and Maynard came extremely close to ending Edgar’s own lengthy win streak in the opening round of the fight as he dropped him with a left hand and then repeatedly sunk him to the canvas again as the champion tried to rise back up.
The battered and bloody Edgar showed the heart of a lion though to not only keep fighting through that extreme adversity, but also find his groove and make the rounds that followed highly competitive to the extent that the fight would end in a split draw decision.
An immediate rematch was called for and again Maynard put a beating on Edgar in the early stages of the fight, but again he couldn’t quite find a finish and this time Edgar would make him pay later in the bout with a TKO stoppage.
