Gray Area: Who Wins the Rematch Between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard?

After the events of UFC 118, fans were curious to hear what was next for both Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard in the lightweight division.

Edgar silenced all of his critics with a definitive win in a rematch against highly regarded lightweight BJ Penn.

Maynard achieved a similar feat as he dominated Kenny Florian for three rounds, showing that he truly is a top contender in the division.

Shortly after UFC 118, UFC President Dana White announced that Gray Maynard was the next in line for a shot at the lightweight title.

As has been well documented already, Maynard is the man responsible for the one blemish on Edgar’s 13-1 professional fight record.

Maynard’s proclamation that he is “the most accomplished wrestler in the UFC lightweight division” is hard to argue with.

Maynard wrestled at Michigan State University, competing at 157 pounds. He placed eighth at the 2001 NCAA Division I Collegiate Wrestling Championship, followed by consecutive seventh-place finishes in 2002 and 2003.

Despite Maynard being in firm control of the first fight, if anyone in the division has any chance of matching his wrestling, it is Edgar.

Edgar is a fellow NCAA Division I wrestler, making it to the nationals all four years during his tenure at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. 

For further evidence of Edgar’s wrestling ability, look no further than his most recent outing with BJ Penn.

Look at the perfection when Edgar shoots a single-leg takedown, switches to a high crotch, and drops Penn to the canvas.

Just one example of what to expect when Edgar shoots in on his opponent.

And while he does not submit opponents very often, it is worth knowing that Edgar has a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, so his grappling skills are up to par with a majority of the fighters in the division.

Furthermore, “The Answer’s” proven to be a cardio machine and very light on his feet, able to sneak in a variety of different punches and kicks on his adversaries.

Of course, Maynard should not be discredited just yet.

Maynard’s powerful punches often go under the radar, but fans should not forget he owns a nine-second knockout win over Joe Veres.

While just about every fighter is capable of getting caught, the reality is that Maynard’s boxing skills are above average.

Additionally, MMA fighters who use a wrestling-based attack of takedowns and riding out opponents are often quite susceptible to submissions.

This is not the case for Maynard, though.

Through 11 fights, “The Bully” has managed an impressive 10 wins and one no contest.

While his fight strategy is not overwhelmingly popular with the fans, it has proven to be extremely effective thus far.

So with all this being said, the question is: Who wins the rematch?

Those expecting Maynard to roll through Edgar again are likely to be disappointed.

Edgar has improved tremendously since the first meeting between these two, and it is unlikely that he will be willing to give up his title this early without fighting every step of the way.

Nevertheless, Maynard has not seen much offense from the competitors put up against him, outside of his matchups with Roger Huerta and Nate Diaz.

His style is tested and proven, so it would not be that shocking to see it work again against someone he has already defeated handily.

This is an incredibly difficult call, as both guys have a lot of credentials to back them up at this point.

After a lot of thought, I am going to say Edgar continues to impress by avenging his only professional loss here.

Although, it would still not be shocking at all to see Maynard take the title.

Lots of luck to both fighters as they get ready for this one. All signs indicate that the fans have a great title fight to look forward to within the lightweight division.