Gray Maynard
Active 2007–present · rated in 2 editions · peak overall 83.0
Scouting report
Battling Frankie Edgar in a championship trilogy, Gray "The Bully" Maynard was a top contender at the top of the lightweight ranks. Born in Phoenix, Arizona and competing as an NCAA Division I All-American for Ohio State, Maynard pressured rivals with power doubles and a heavy right hand, built upon a 90 Wrestling rating and 86 Boxing.
Peak ratings
By edition
Maynard fought Frankie Edgar in two title bouts in 2011, battling to a split draw at UFC 125 before suffering a fourth-round knockout loss at UFC 136 in Houston. In 2012 and 2013, he earned a split-decision victory over Clay Guida in Atlantic City before dropping a first-round TKO loss to TJ Grant and a stoppage defeat to Nate Diaz. His collegiate wrestling base, punching power, and chin are reflected in a 90 Wrestling and 86 Durability rating across this era.
In 2014 and 2015, Maynard endured a difficult stretch, suffering a knockout loss to Ross Pearson in Bangor and a unanimous decision loss to Alexander Yakovlev in Fairfax before taking an extended hiatus to recover and retool his skillset. His boxing combinations and wrestling pedigree against elite lightweight contenders preserved his ratings, including an 82 Boxing and 86 Wrestling score.
Gray Maynard, the All-American wrestler with a heavy right hand
Gray Maynard wrestled at Michigan State and earned All-American honors before turning to MMA, and it shows in how he fights. He drives forward, shoves opponents to the fence, and finishes exchanges with a right hand that hurts. He is best known for his three fights with Frankie Edgar. He won the first on the scorecards in 2008, the second, in January 2011, ended in a draw, and Edgar knocked him out in the fourth round of the third in 2011. He also beat Nate Diaz by split decision in 2010.
Where Maynard's numbers come from
Boxing. Heavier than the number suggests for a wrestler. The overhand right is the punch that opened his best moments.
Kickboxing. His weakest area. He rarely kicked much and did his work in a phone booth.
Wrestling. The core of the whole build. Power doubles, cage control and a strong top game.
BJJ. Above average, and mostly used to keep position and not to hunt for finishes.
Strength. He is thick and strong for lightweight, and he leans on opponents in clinches.
Durability. He absorbed a lot in the Edgar fights and kept going, though the fourth-round knockout in the third one ended that streak.
Cardio. Solid. He pushes hard early and the pressure carries a long way into later rounds.
Fight IQ. Not flashy, but he understands how to use a wrestling advantage to control the shape of a fight.
Wrestling at 90 is the reason he belongs on a card
Very few lightweights can stop his takedown or get up from bottom position easily, and on the rating table his 90 in wrestling is the highest number by a clear margin. He turns fights into a battle of pressure and top control. If you want a fighter who decides where the fight happens, this is the strongest trait to build around.
A kickboxer can live off his low mark: Kickboxing
At 72, Kickboxing is his lowest attribute by some distance. He was not built to fight at range, and a fighter who can keep him from closing in, using kicks and lateral movement, takes away his best route to the fence. Look for teammates who fill in that gap on your board.
Keep exploring
Closest lightweight profiles to Gray Maynard, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Al Iaquintabest boxing 86 · weakest bjj 76
- Sean Sherkbest cardio 92 · weakest kickboxing 70
- Michael Chandlerbest boxing 90 · weakest bjj 76
- Kevin Leebest wrestling 88 · weakest kickboxing 80
- Lightweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Gray Maynard's strongest attribute, Wrestling.
Draft Gray Maynard into your build
Gray Maynard enters the pool on any spin landing on lightweight between 2010 and 2015. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Gray Maynard is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Gray Maynard's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.