Promising lightweight contender
Gray Maynard (Pictures) has verbally agreed to meet
Rich Clementi (Pictures) in a lightweight bout at UFC 90 “Silva vs. Cote” on Oct. 25 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. The undefeated 29-year-old confirmed the agreement to Sherdog.com on Thursday.
Headlined by a middleweight title fight between champion
Anderson Silva (Pictures) and Canadian challenger
Patrick Cote (Pictures), UFC 90 also includes a pivotal welterweight showdown pairing
Diego Sanchez (Pictures) with American Top Team’s
Thiago Alves (Pictures).
“That card is stacked,” Maynard said. “I’m just pumped to finally get back into it.”
A product of season five of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series, Maynard’s stock rose significantly following his unanimous decision victory over the highly regarded Frankie Edgar at UFC Fight Night 13 in April. He injured his right wrist in the three-round bout and spent several weeks resting and rehabilitating the injury. Once Maynard was cleared to fight, speculation swirled as to whom “The Bully” might face next.
“I talked to [UFC vice president] Joe Silva after I got cleared to fight,” he said. “I told him I wanted to fight [Sean] Sherk, but obviously that didn’t happen. I knew that [Roger] Huerta and
Kenny Florian (Pictures) were already taken, so I told him I wanted to fight a tough guy. Clementi was available, so I took [the fight].”
His career given new life by his appearance on the fourth installment of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Clementi (32-12-1) has been on a roll of late, as he has put together a streak of six consecutive wins. Like Maynard, his climb up the lightweight ranks has been steady.
“He’s got a ton of fights under his belt, and he’s a good, all-around fighter who doesn’t make many mistakes,” Maynard said. “He’s got good striking, and his [jiu-jitsu] is very dangerous. It should be a good fight. I can’t wait for it.”
Though he has not yet received his fight contract from the UFC, Maynard (5-0) does not foresee anything standing in the way of the bout.
“Oh, it’s set up,” he said with a chuckle. “I just haven’t actually gotten my contract yet, but it’s going to happen.”
Becoming a big fish in one of the UFC’s deepest division, Maynard seems content to wait his turn in the lightweight title picture. A three-time All-American wrestler at Michigan State University, the Xtreme Couture product understands there is no shortage of viable contenders at 155 pounds.
“I just gotta stay low and keep beating up people,” he said. “There’s tons of good guys [at lightweight]. All I gotta do is keep winning and beating top guys, and [the title shot] will come.”
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