UFC 136 Fight Card: Gray Maynard Will Win Grudge Match for Title

The grudge match set for Saturday night between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard has been highly anticipated.

The two have been destined to fight each other since their last match against one another on New Year's Day of this year ended in a draw.

Edgar will come in as the champion, but I'm not so sure that Maynard isn't the favorite coming in. Edgar has never been able to overcome Maynard and Edgar narrowly escaped an early onslaught from Maynard in that match back on Jan. 1.

In a story by Dave Deibert that appeared in the Vancouver Sun, Edgar sure didn't sound like a fighter who felt like the underdog against Maynard:

"“If he’d won the last time again, I’d say ‘Yeah he has my number.’ I just gotta win,” said Edgar."

Maynard seems sure of himself as well. In the same story, he had this to say about the opportunity in front of him:

"

“I feel as if I’m prepared,” said Maynard. “I’m not like, ‘Uh, I don’t know if I did this right, if I did that right.’ Everything is all done. It’s time to have fun.”

"

If either fighter has any concerns ahead of the fight, they aren't showing it.

In the end, I think there is something to the fact that Maynard has fought so well against Edgar.

He clearly has a good game plan for getting to him, and while Edgar managed to fight his way back after Maynard was pummeling him early in their last match, that match was on the verge of being over almost before it started.

This time around, I think Maynard comes out quickly but finishes Edgar off before he has a chance to mount a comeback.