UFC 130: Gray Maynard Was Set to Fight Anthony "Showtime" Pettis Prior to Injury

Nick Caron

May 9, 2011

More information continues to swirl surrounding the now removed main event for UFC 130 between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard.

Heavy MMA’s Jeremy Botter is reporting that former WEC lightweight champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis was set to replace Frankie Edgar and fight Gray Maynard in the main event later this month.

The organization contacted him just a few days ago and asked him if he would like to headline the event.

“They were going to have me fight Maynard on that card,” Pettis revealed. “I said yes to that deal right away.”

But today, we now hear that Maynard himself suffered an undisclosed knee injury, which will knock him out of the event as well.

“I guess it turns out that it’s not going to happen. I’m back to fighting [Clay] Guida,” Pettis conceded. “It sucks that he got injured, because it kinda puts the whole lightweight division back on standstill.”

The news is unfortunate and really puts a damper on what was otherwise set to be another outstanding UFC pay-per-view event. With Edgar vs. Maynard now off the card, the UFC has promoted Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s fight against Matt Hamill as the new main event.

Meanwhile, “Showtime” will return to training as he prepares for the fight he was originally scheduled for, against Clay Guida on June 4.

“For three or four days I thought I was going to fight on May 28 and now it’s just killing me, so I’m going to take it out on Clay Guida.”

No guarantee has been made, but it is expected that the winner of Pettis vs. Guida will be the next man in line for a shot at the UFC lightweight championship.