Edgar, Maynard on Target for UFC 136 Rematch

They were the central figures in an epic New Year’s Day drama. Nine months later, lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and unbeaten challenger Gray Maynard will toe the line one more time.

Edgar tipped the scales at 154.5 pounds for his five-round title defense against Maynard (155) in the UFC 136 main event on Saturday at the Toyota Center in Houston. A featherweight championship bout will flank the anticipated headliner, as champion Jose Aldo (145) and challenger Kenny Florian (145) also met their contracted weight requirements without issue at Friday’s official weigh-in.

The Edgar-Maynard rematch figures to provide closure to their lightweight trilogy. The two met for the first time in April 2008, when Maynard posted a unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 13, and again in January, when Edgar fought back from a disastrous first round to force a draw in a riveting 25-minute encounter.

The draw against Maynard at UFC 125 halted Edgar’s five-fight winning streak, which included a pair of wins over former two-division champion B.J. Penn. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, the 29-year-old Toms River, N.J., native has trained extensively with former middleweight King of Pancrase Ricardo Almeida. Edgar, a decorated amateur wrestler, was a four-time NCAA qualifier at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. In 10 Octagon appearances, he has been awarded “Fight of the Night” four times.

A semifinalist on Season 5 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Maynard trains out of the revered Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts camp in Las Vegas. The 32-year-old Phoenix native was a three-time NCAA All-American at Michigan State University, where he wrestled alongside former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans. Victories over AMA Fight Club standout Jim Miller, Bellator Fighting Championships veteran Roger Huerta, two-time lightweight title contender Kenny Florian and Cesar Gracie protégé Nate Diaz anchor Maynard’s MMA resume. His last eight fights have reached the judges.

UFC 136 “Edgar vs. Maynard 3” -- which will air live on pay-per-view at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT -- will also feature a middleweight tilt pairing former title contender Chael Sonnen (185.5) with Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts representative Brian Stann (186), a featherweight rematch pitting “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 alum Nam Phan (145) with Leonard Garcia (145) and a lightweight battle matching the surging Melving Guillard (155.5) with Joe Lauzon (155.5). An hour prior, Spike TV will carry a pair of preliminary fights, as 2007 Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist Demian Maia (185) meets former Sengoku Raiden Championship middleweight titleholder holder Jorge Santiago (185) and onetime WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis (154.5) collides with Jeremy Stephens (156).

Meanwhile, the four remaining undercard matchups will stream on the UFC’s Facebook page at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT: Joey Beltran (245) vs. Stipe Miocic (236), Tiequan Zhang (146) vs. Darren Elkins (145), Aaron Simpson (186) vs. Eric Schafer (185.5) and Steve Cantwell (186) vs. Mike Massenzio (185).

UFC 136 “Edgar vs. Maynard 3”
Saturday, Oct. 8
Toyota Center
Houston

UFC Lightweight Championship
Frankie Edgar (154.5) vs. Gray Maynard (155)

UFC Featherweight Championship
Jose Aldo (145) vs. Kenny Florian (145)

Chael Sonnen (185.5) vs. Brian Stann (186)
Nam Phan (145) vs. Leonard Garcia (145)
Melvin Guillard (155.5) vs. Joe Lauzon (155.5)
Demian Maia (185) vs. Jorge Santiago (185)
Anthony Pettis (154.5) vs. Jeremy Stephens (156)
Joey Beltran (245) vs. Stipe Miocic (236)
Tiequan Zhang (146) vs. Darren Elkins (145)
Aaron Simpson (186) vs. Eric Schafer (185.5)
Steve Cantwell (186) vs. Mike Massenzio (185)