The lightweight division is the deepest in the world, but it's lacked sizzle until recently. A division loaded with super-talented, but nice, polite dudes doesn't always sell with the casual fan. UFC 125 served as a prime example when the promotion had a tougher time selling tickets to the Frank Edgar-Gray Maynard fight. The fans made a mistake because it turned out to be a candidate for 2011 Fight of the Year.
In a way, you couldn't blame fan, because Edgar and Maynard didn't generate a ton of heat before the fight. Now, because the division is so crowded at the top, it looks like the days of mutual respect and glove tapping won't be as prevalent.
Anthony Pettis isn't happy with Gray Maynard and didn't hold back during a recent conversation with the Las Vegas Sun.
Last month, Maynard suggested Pettis is a product of overhype.
"I mean, who has he fought? I've been in the trenches this whole time fighting the toughest guys. He throws one kick and then he's the greatest in the world? Let's look at who he's fought. Ben Henderson is the best name," Maynard said referencing Pettis' "Showtime Kick" near the end of his win over Henderson. That kick made Sportscenter's Top 10 Plays of the Year.
Maynard respects a lot of his co-horts at lightweight, but has questions about Pettis.
[...] But for me, guys like Miller, Melendez and all of these guys who have been on the [expletive] grind, fighting the best competition for the past few years… that's what I look at," Maynard told MMAFA.tv. "Who have you fought? I don't care about how good you looked when you fought a scrub. That doesn't matter. If a guy isn't good then you're not supposed to look good. And for me, [Pettis] has fought one good guy in Ben, and he isn't proven yet. He's tough as hell, but we'll see."
Pettis fired back saying Maynard needed to get himself more attention and was just spouting off.
"He needs to get his face in the media somehow," Pettis told the Las Vegas Sun. "Gray is the No. 1 contender, but no one talks about him. He doesn't get a lot of press. I think he's trying to figure out a way to get people to talk about him. If he has to use my name to do that, he has to do what he has to do."
Pettis also said he thought that Maynard lost the fight against Edgar at UFC 125. After a big first round, Maynard allowed Edgar to creep back into the fight and pull out a draw.
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