Frankie Edgar looked back on his legendary fight with Gray Maynard at UFC 125 and shared insight into his mentality. Edgar remembers being pushed to the limit before later avenging his loss and solidifying his title reign. Their second bout in particular, is still considered one of the greatest lightweight fights in UFC history.
Edgar and Maynard fought three times. Maynard won their first bout by unanimous decision in 2008. Their rematch took place at UFC 125, this time for Edgar’s lightweight championship.
Maynard controlled the early part of the fight and looked close to becoming the new lightweight champion. ‘The Bully’ dropped Edgar several times in the 1st round and quickly followed up with ground strikes. However, ‘The Answer’ survived both the onslaught and the round.
Edgar’s toughness was on display, as he recovered during the 2nd round and slammed Maynard. They went on to compete in a back-and-forth fight that was ruled a draw after going the distance.
“I honestly don’t remember much of the fight because I was on death’s door in the 1st round,” Edgar exclusively told Heavy Sports. “But, I was able to survive and get through it. I do remember after the 4th round my coach said, ‘You got one more round’ and I’m like, ‘What happened to three and four?'”
He added:
“I didn’t remember a bunch of the rounds but it was nice to know that looking back, I was able to get it done even when I’m on auto-pilot,” he said. “Listening to my coaches the whole time. That goes to show, if you prepare that way, you’re going to fall back on your preparation.”
Catch RAF09 on May 30 to see Frankie Edgar make his Real American Freestyle debut against Merab Dvalishvili
Frankie Edgar Reveals How He Maintained His Composure Against Gray Maynard
Frankie Edgar also revealed how he maintained his composure during against Gray Maynard at UFC 125. ‘The Answer’ struggled in the 1st round, he never became discouraged and continued fighting.
While many fighters can get consumed by the adrenaline of a main event title fight, Edgar stayed focused on his corner. He listened to his coaches for guidance and used their advice to turn things around.
That worked, as Edgar was able to regroup and found success.
“You’re trying to not let the adrenaline take over. I’m just trying to focus on what my team has to say in the corner and do my best to make the adjustments. I think that the best fighters make the adjustments in between rounds,” Edgar exclusively told Heavy Sports. “There’s been fights where I was able to do that, there’s been fights where I haven’t, and the results spoke for that.”
Who Won the Trilogy Fight Between Edgar and Maynard at UFC 136?
After their legendary clash at UFC 125 ended in a draw, the promotion booked an immediate rematch between Edgar and Maynard.
The lightweight title bout took place at UFC 136. Much like their previous bout, Maynard controlled the early moments. However, this time, Edgar bounced back and found more success with his striking.
Edgar earned a 4th round knockout victory to avenge his earlier loss and successfully retain his lightweight championship. ‘The Answer’ also received a Knockout of the Night bonus.
Exclusive: Frankie Edgar Reflects on His Legendary UFC 125 Fight With Gray Maynard