The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s lightweight division was ushered out of the B.J. Penn era. This shift paved the way for the next generation of fighters.
Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard were at the forefront of this transition. They faced off three times between April 2, 2008, and Oct. 8, 2011. Their action-packed rivalry captivated fans and set the course for the 155-pound weight class.
Their head-to-head series ended in a fitting 1-1-1 tie. Now, over a decade after their final bout, the two men remain inextricably linked by their battles inside the cage.
As time passes, their rivalry continues to fade into the past. However, a look at the numbers reveals why Edgar vs. Maynard was so unforgettable.
There were 1,284 days between the first and third Edgar-Maynard meetings. Maynard won a three-round unanimous decision from Edgar at UFC Fight Night 13 in April 2008. However, he fell short in the two rematches. They fought to a split draw at UFC 125 in January 2011. Edgar then defeated Maynard with fourth-round punches at UFC 136 in October 2011.
The two pay-per-views headlined by Edgar-Maynard drew 495,000 buys. UFC 125 attracted 270,000 purchases, while UFC 136 brought in 225,000. Their first encounter was the co-feature at UFC Fight Night 13, playing second fiddle to the showdown between Kenny Florian and Joe Lauzon on Spike TV.
The third chapter of the Edgar-Maynard rivalry saw 16,164 fans at the UFC 136 main event at the Toyota Center in Houston. This was the highest attendance figure of the trilogy, generating a $2,230,000 live gate.
The Edgar-Maynard series saw 3,534 seconds of fight time. They battled inside the Octagon for a total of 58:54—the equivalent of nearly 12 full rounds.
In their trilogy, Edgar and Maynard landed a total of 364 strikes. Their second encounter accounted for more than half of them (190).
There were three submission attempts between Edgar and Maynard in their three bouts. Edgar was responsible for two of them, while Maynard tallied one.
Edgar outlanded Maynard by 50 significant strikes in their trilogy. He connected with 182 such strikes while absorbing only 132 in return.
Maynard completed 12 takedowns at Edgar’s expense, with a 41% accuracy rate (12-for-29). Edgar, on the other hand, missed on 23 of his 27 attempts against the former Michigan State University standout.
The two lightweights recorded five knockdowns in their three-fight series. Maynard accounted for four of them but failed to secure a stoppage. Edgar floored “The Bully” in the fourth round of their final confrontation and ultimately closed him out with punches.
Following the completion of their rivalry, the two men had a cumulative winning percentage of .429. Edgar fought 19 times and compiled a 9-10 record. His victories included wins over Penn, Cub Swanson (twice), Charles Oliveira, Urijah Faber, Chad Mendes, Jeremy Stephens, Yair Rodriguez, and Pedro Munhoz. Maynard, on the other hand, went 3-6 across his nine appearances, defeating Clay Guida, Fernando Bruno, and Teruto Ishihara.