Biography and Profile of Gray Maynard

Date of Birth :

The biography of Bradley Gray Maynard starts in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 9, 1979.

Nickname:

The Bully

Organization:

UFC

Training Camp:

Xtreme Couture

Wrestling Before MMA:

Maynard wrestled at St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio, where he was a national champion, All American, and All State wrestler. When he graduated, he took up with the Michigan State University wrestling team where he was a three-time All American that finished seventh at the NCAA Wrestling Championships (157 pound division) during his final season with the Spartans in 2003. Maynard was co-captain of the team and was a teammate to UFC fighter Rashad Evans. He finished his Michigan State career with 106 victories.

MMA Beginnings:

After failing to make the 2004 U.S. Olympic wrestling team, Maynard began to consider retirement. That’s when BJ Penn came calling, looking for a strong wrestler to serve as a training partner. Maynard then caught the MMA bug and eventually started to train with Randy Couture at Xtreme Couture.

He won his MMA debut against Josh Powell on April 21, 2006, in a Title Fighting Championships event.

The Ultimate Fighter 5:

Maynard was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 5 (TUF 5), a reality television series that pits up and coming fighters against one another in a single elimination tournament with the winner of each weight class gaining a six figure UFC contract. BJ Penn served as his coach on the show.

Maynard won his first two fights on the show against Wayne Weems and Brandon Melendez before falling via guillotine choke to eventual TUF 5 Champion, Nathan Diaz.

Fighting Style:

Maynard is a huge lightweight. Thus, his nickname “The Bully” does illustrate his skills well, as he tends to be able to do just that to opponents with overwhelming power and outstanding wrestling skills. Maynard has also done a lot to improve his striking while with Xtreme Couture.

In other words, he’s a ground and pound extraordinaire with solid stand up skills.

Three Noteworthy Gray Maynard Fights:

• Gray Maynard and Rob Emerson end in a ‘No Contest’ at the TUF 5 Finale: Maynard slammed Emerson to the canvas in round two, causing his opponent to immediately tap due to a rib injury. Interestingly, Maynard hit his head on the mat while executing the move, leaving him out cold on the canvas at the same time. With neither fighter able to continue, the fight was ruled a ‘No Contest’.
• Gray Maynard defeats Frankie Edgar at Fight Night 13 by decision: When two excellent wrestlers fight and all things are basically equal, the bigger man will usually win out. That’s what happened here in a huge Maynard victory.
• Gray Maynard defeats Rich Clementi by decision at UFC 90: Clementi was the better striker here. Unfortunately for him, he couldn’t stay upright.