Dana White: I’m Not Looking to Chase Gray Maynard Out of the Sport
Gray
Maynard has suffered three straight knockout losses. | Dave
Mandel/Sherdog.com
A few years ago, Gray Maynard was near the pinnacle of the UFC’s lightweight division, but following a third consecutive knockout loss, “The Bully” may be nearing the end of his career.
On Saturday, Maynard was stopped by punches from Ross Pearson 1:35 into the second round of their UFC Fight Night “Bader vs. St. Preux’s” co-main event.
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UFC President Dana White addressed Maynard’s future during Saturday’s post-fight press conference.
"Obviously he came here; he fought; he’s been cleared medically to fight; he’s healthy. It’s probably a discussion we might have,” White said. “I’m not looking to chase Gray out of the game or anything like that. These guys go through extensive medical testing; we know getting knocked out isn’t good for you. He’s a young guy -- he’s talented. We will see what he wants to do.”
Pearson, who most recently lost a controversial decision to Diego Sanchez, was pleased with his performance in the Octagon. He also took time to praise Maynard and everything his opponent has accomplished in his eight-year MMA career.
“The fight just seemed so slow compared to how I’ve been training that I just wanted to speed it up and lure Gray in to throw,” Pearson said. “I hit him with a hard right hand and then a 3-2 and got on top to follow it up. There’s no way I was going to give him chance to recover after all the stuff I’ve been through lately with bad judging. I told Gray after the fight what a huge fan of his I am. I want all the things he’s had in his career. The marquee fights and title shots are what I’m after.”
Maynard, who is probably best known for his trilogy with Frankie Edgar, hasn’t tasted victory since June 2012, when he captured a five-round split verdict over Clay Guida at UFC on FX 4.
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