Gray Maynard » Gray

Gray Maynard Defeats Kenny Florian!

Gray — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:07:34 +0000

Gray Made Weight and Ready for Florian

Gray — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 02:25:52 +0000

UFC 118 will hit Boston, Massachusetts this Saturday night as B.J. Penn looks to reclaim the Lightweight title from the man who dethroned him in April: Frankie “The Answer” Edgar. The solid main card includes the battle between the undefeated Gray Maynard and Kenny Florian – a fight which will decide who is next in line for a shot at the Lightweight title.

READY FOR BOSTON!

Gray — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 22:04:35 +0000

Exclusive Interview with Kid D sponsored, MMA Fighter Gray Maynard

Gray — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 17:13:00 +0000

Check out KID DANGEROUS.com and get 30% off any item at kid dangerous online store enter product code MAYNARD upon checkout

Kid Dangerous is officially in the MMA game, having recently sponsored renowned fighters Gray Maynard and Jay Hieron. Gray is currently preparing for one of the most anticipated fights of the year against Kenny Florian in UFC 118, with the winner of the fight putting himself in a prime position for a title fight in the lightweight division. We’re proud to have Gray on board and are curious to find out what makes the dude tick, and by tick, we mean what makes him kick so much ass.

NTERVIEW BY PETE GIOKAS:

Gray, you’re a longtime badass – state-champ wrestler in high school, All-American in college – now rising through the ranks of UFC’s lightweight division. Has anyone ever been dumb enough to start shit with you outside the ring?

Not since I’ve been fighting. There are a lot of people that will talk shit about fighters on the internet with a fucking fake screen name, but I’ve never had anyone say anything to my face. High school and college were a different story though. I definitely had a handful of “altercations.”

What was the result?

The shitty thing about the times I got into street fights were A) it would always be over or broke up really quick and B) after the actual fight ended, that’s when all the real bullshit started like getting arrested, getting jumped by all the guy’s friends, getting a lawsuit, or paying for the guy’s hospital bills. So I’m really really enjoying getting paid for my fighting nowadays rather than coming out of pocket for court costs and hospital bills.

We love to get hammered here at Kid D. Some of us are partial to Jameson, others to excessive amounts of beer. What’s your poison, Gray?

This is a very serious question that I’ve pondered many times. There’s always an ending point for each of them because of one bad night. The Tequila stage was the longest. I actually liked Tequila, but it ended one morning with me at the police station passed out on a mat, sharing a holding tank with another drunk guy that pissed himself, and an answering machine full of pissed off people waiting for me at my house. The whiskey, rum, and gin stages were all pretty short, but they ended pretty much the same way Tequila did.

Vodka had a little more classy way of ending. My buddy is a club promoter and asked me to do this little appearance for a really good cause. But when I got there it was like a full on fucking runway fashion show in a big night club with rehearsals and shit. So I’m thinking what the fuck did I get myself into and started pounding some mixed vodka drinks. Anyway, after the show I ended up drinking more vodka that night and doing a lot more stupid shit, which isn’t that bad until the next day when your buddies remind you of every little dumb ass detail you did that night. Now I just keep to beer. I don’t care if it’s at the best club in the world!! Bring out a bucket of beers for me, please.

Not to get all gay and fashion-y on you, but what’s up with MMA fighters wearing really shitty clothes? Aside from you, they all look like they got raped by a pack of screen printing lunatics. I mean, I know you can’t straight up tell a professional fighter that he looks like a douchebag, but seriously, they’ve got to know, right?

Depends, I think some guys wear it because they get paid by the company, and some guys just really like it. I’ve seriously seen some shirts that have about 8-10 lbs of ink on them in the form of dragons, skulls, pitbulls, brass knuckles, and historical and religious symbols randomly put across the entire front and back. It looked like a meth head went on a bender for 3 days, locked himself in a room and came out with 1 design. I’m by no means a fashion expert, but they’ve got to realize more isn’t always better.

If you could fight any celebrity, who would it be?

Probably Eminem. It just really seems like he bitches a lot. I mean, what the fuck does he have so much to complain about? I don’t think getting his ass whooped would help him though. I think he’s just miserable.

Historical figure?

I’ll just quote Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown. Altering the past “could cause a chain reaction that would unravel the very fabric of the space-time continuum and destroy the entire universe.” I don’t want to be responsible for that.

To read the full interview and GRAY’S RESPONSES TO THE QUESTIONS BELOW GO TO Kiddangerous.com While you are there get 30% off any item at the kid dangerous online store enter code MAYNARD upon checkout!!

I once saw a dude get knocked out in this parking lot, and his arms locked at right-angles as he stiffened straight as a board and cracked his head on the pavement behind him. I seriously thought the mother-fucker was dead. Have you ever hit someone and thought you killed him?

Most of the Kid D crew grew up together in Denver. I remember we were in middle school, and I had everyone over to watch the very FIRST UFC at Mammoth Sports Arena, which ironically enough, was taking place live in the great city of Denver, Colorado. A local fighter named Patrick Smith crushed this fucking ninjitsu-dude’s face all over the mat, and it was the most savage thing I’d ever seen. Now, this shit is an American past-time, and I believe a true representation of the warrior spirit. Do you ever think about what you do in those terms?

Are there UFC groupies? They’ve got to be the craziest bitches in the world…

You’re from Arizona. What do you think about this whole immigration thing?

What do you want your tombstone to read? Finish this sentence: Here lies THE BULLY…

TO READ GRAY’S RESPONSES TO THE QUESTIONS ABOVE GO TO Kiddangerous.com While you are there get 30% off any item at the kid dangerous online store enter code MAYNARD upon checkout!!

BJPenn.com UFC 118 EXCLUSIVE: GRAY MAYNARD READY TO BULLY HIS WAY INTO A TOUGH SCRAP WITH FORIAN

Gray — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 17:57:51 +0000

UFC 118 EXCLUSIVE: GRAY MAYNARD READY TO BULLY HIS WAY INTO A TOUGH SCRAP WITH FORIAN

Posted by MMA NEWS of BJPenn.com on August 19, 2010 at 12:40am

While there are fighters who have been known to string together a symphony of violence there are also those who care less about the poetic nature of the battle and simply get down to the thick of destruction. A blue-collared win at all costs attitude matched with a refusal to quit, keeps the fires of competition raging. Most fighters tend to take their bumps and bruises during the early stages of their career and while scars are lessons learned, from time to time there will come a warrior who simply knows how to get things done…good, bad or ugly. For lightweight contender Gray Maynard (9-0) it’s all about the scrap and that is the only way it can be. Just as the glimmer and flash of the Vegas strip catches the eye, it’s the heat and grit of the desert that overwhelms and despite the challenges presented from past opponents, Maynard’s heart and work ethic have refused to accept anything but victory. Gray Maynard’s journey has led him to the doorstep of title contention and as he prepares to head into the hostile territory of Boston at UFC 118, the only thing on his mind is Kenny Florian. A victory over Florian will cement a titled shot for the “The Bully” and with training camp winding down I caught up with Gray to talk about his upcoming bout at UFC 118. In this B.J. Penn Exclusive, Maynard sounds off on his bout with Kenny Florian, a misunderstanding about his relationship with B.J. Penn and the opportunities that wait for him just around the corner. When I asked Gray how his camp had gone thus far he replied…

“Camp is going great. I’ve known that I was going up against Florian since April so I’ve had a lot of time to ease into camp and train. I’ve had a good amount of time so I feel great going in.”

Since being submitted by B.J. Penn at UFC 101, Florian has left long time trainer Mark DellaGrotte and joined boxing coach Peter Welch and Firas Zahabi at Tri Star Gym in Montreal. In doing so Florian has switched his stance from the Muay Thai style he has used throughout his career to that of a traditional boxing counter striker. When Maynard was asked how he has prepared for the change he responded…

“I’ve been working with a boxing coach by the name of Gil Martinez. He has a gym here and he’s worked with Ricky Hatton, Barrera and he’s got a lot of pros around. I’ve been with Gil for three years now and if he wants to box that’ll be fine. It works out perfect for me.”

With Florian being a native of the Boston area, the bout will take place behind enemy lines for Maynard. Gray was asked if he felt added pressure with the fight taking place in Boston and if “The Bully” was going to beat up Kenny Florian in his own back yard and he replied…

“There’s no added pressure but that’s what I’m going to do. That’s all I can do and there’s no other choice. I think he’s the last step to a title shot. It’s a fight and I’m prepared. I have Florian and then I’ll deal with whatever comes next.”

During Florian’s career he has shown difficulty at times when facing a fighter with a strong wrestling background. When asked if he had seen any weaknesses in those performances that he could capitalize on Maynard stated…

“In my opinion he has shown that when things are going good, he feels good and keeps moving. Against Penn and Sherk, when he realized he was in a tough scrap, he didn’t really know how to deal with it and changed his plans. I’m not going out there just to go…I’m planning on a scrap and I hope he is too. I’m coming out to go three rounds hard and there is zero quit in me. When the going gets tough….well he better plan on getting going because it’s going to be tough. It’s going to be a scrap and I’ve had them all…close ones, tough ones and I guarantee that I’m going three rounds hard and I hope he’s planning on that because if not then he’s making a mistake.”

In an interview earlier this year Gray Maynard was asked about his experience as a cast member on “The Ultimate Fighter” during the season in which B.J. Penn was the coach. In the interview Maynard had commented on the training and the MMA world took the comment and ran with it in attempts to ignite a rivalry. In the middle of the interview Maynard wanted to take a moment to clear up and address the entire situation as he said…

“A lot of people got shit mixed up by me saying B.J. was a bad coach on the show when I really said the training sucked on the show cause he had his hands tied with all of the rules and the training was way better when I went to Hilo. I still consider BJ a friend and appreciate the help he gave me in the beginning of my career.”

TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW go to BJPenn.com

MMA UK Interviews Top lightweight, Gray Maynard

Gray — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:24:51 +0000

MMA UK interviews Top lightweight, Gray Maynard

We recently did an interview with top lightweight contender Gray Maynard for MMA UK. He tells us about how he got into the MMA game, what he thinks of Kenny Florian and he fires back at the critcism some people give him for being a “lay and pray” wrestler.

Gray Maynard isn’t called “The Bully” as just a way to intimidate his opponents. It’s more of a warning to those who step into the cage with him of what his intentions are. Maynard has brought down every opponent that has stood in his way and has a convincing 9 wins/0 losses/1 no contest record.

Maynards next fight is in 11 days at UFC 118, as he faces one of the top fighters in the Lightweight division – Kenny Florian. The winner of this fight is arguably next in line for a title shot against whoever wins against BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar. Maynard is certainly a formidable force in the Lightweight division, thus him being MMA UK’s fighter of the week.

Hey Gray, how’s the training going?

Training is great! I’ve been really pumped up about this fight for a long time

For those of us who haven’t seen you fight before or know much about your history, can you give the fans a brief description of how you got into MMA?

I wrestled my whole life. After college I tried out for the 2004 Olympic team and didn’t make it. I ended up moving back home to Las Vegas afterwards and MMA was really big here. I got involved to keep in shape and was fortunate enough to start training with Randy Couture. I’ve never looked back since!

You’re well known for your wrestling skills and it seems that wrestling is having a resurgent as of late in MMA. Would you say that wrestling is arguably the best starting point for an MMA fighter to have?

Yes, it teaches great work ethic and it’s a great base to have for learning all the other disciplines.

Who was the biggest influence for you when you thought “I want to become an MMA fighter”?

Randy Couture has a big influence for me in the sport.

Some people have criticised you for using you’re wrestling skills and not showing much skills for striking. However, would you say that you’re the type of fighter who likes to grind out wins and try and break your opponents will or are you trying to get better with your striking?

I’d say I have a 9 sec KO (One of the fastest in the UFC), I out boxed Frank Edgar who is the champ now, and my last 3 (Jim Miller, Roger Huerta, Nate Diaz) were pretty much all stand up fights with me winning. I’ve proved my striking is one of the best in the division, but nobody has been able to stop my wrestling in the fights either. I just don’t give them a chance anywhere it goes.

TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW MMA UK

Gray — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:05:47 +0000

Photo By: Eric Williams / www.ericwilliams.LA

Final Days of Preparation For UFC 118

Gray — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:00:51 +0000

Training camp for UFC 118 at TD Garden in Boston Ma on Aug 28 has gone great. I feel ready and pumped for this fight. Be sure to tune in – it is going to be fun! Photo By: Eric Williams / www.ericwilliams.LA

My Training Diet

Gray — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:25:08 +0000

I am 2 weeks out until my fight with Kenny Florian UFC 118 at TD Garden Boston, MA. My diet is key right now, especially the last few weeks leading up. I usually eat pretty clean, but, now I step it up a notch to get the last 10-15 off. I cut out all dairy from the get go, and I also cut out coffee. I usually drink a venti black coffee from starbucks everyday, but I stop caffeine when I’m in camp, because I really need to know how my body is feeling and not use artificial energy. I also cut out dairy for a few reasons. Dairy on a whole is not really that great for you. It can cause bloating and other side effects. Also most dairy is really processed so you don’t really get any nutritional benefit from it. Anyway, typically in the morning I wake up take my supplements, which consist mainly of vitamins and minerals, and greens. I have cut out a lot of other supplements because they were not pharmaceutical grade, and really I didnt think they were helping me. The stuff I take now is from XCAP, which is an great supplement company that provides pharmaceutical grade products. What that means is that they have doctors and researchers that approve the supplements standards. Not to knock other companies that make supplements, but they are not held to any standards, and usually the stuff that goes into these products are garbage. After I take my supplements I make a protein shake with whey protein, pomegranate juice, a banana, organic blueberries and strawberries (frozen), and a tablespoon of coconut oil. I use pom juice because it has a lot of antioxidants, as does the blueberries. I usually take 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil a day as well, because it really helps with overall inflammation, and has the “good fats” needed to maintain healthy cholesterol. Also these good fats are absorbed directly into the liver rather than into the bloodstream, so they’re used immediately as energy, not stored as fat. It helps with metabolism and it also is a antimicrobial. After my smoothie I head to my first practice. When I am done with the first practice I will eat a whole wheat wrap, with hummus, salt free seasoning from trader joe’s, tomatoes, cucumbers, and hormone free, antibiotic free organic turkey breast. I eat right after so my body can use the food to replenish what I lost in practice. I can lose up to 8-12lbs in a practice, so it is really important for me to eat right after. Depending on the day, I will either go home to rest and recover, or I will have another practice immediately after. For lunch, again, I will have a wrap, or a salad with organic chicken breast, or brown rice, chicken, black beans, and homemade salsa. I really try and make everything fresh. The fresher the better, and then I know exactly what is going into my body. It takes a lot of time to prepare my meals, but it is very important for me to eat the best foods so that I can use healthy clean energy for my practices. After lunch I relax, and then head to pro practice and strength and conditioning, again depending on what day it is. For dinner I eat chicken or fish as my protein. Everything is baked with extra virgin olive oil, salt free seasonings, and a little lime or lemon. Surprisingly it is really good. It may sound bland, but it is great. Some nights I have carbs with dinner, and some nights I don’t. This depends on my weight, and how close I really am to my fight. Some typical dinners are shish-kabobs with organic chicken breast free of any hormones or antibiotics, couscous with tomatoes, basil and mushrooms stuffed in a red or yellow bell pepper. Fish tacos, with homemade salsa, avocados, and I use sprouted corn tortillas, which are less processed than regular corn tortillas. Grilled salmon and asparagus, and sometimes grilled salmon burgers with whole wehat bun and a side green salad. The other night I had a chinese chicken salad that had cabbage, cilantro, green onions, almond slices, carrots, and grilled chicken, with a peanut vinagrette. So I mix it up. Just because I have to eat clean doesnt necessarily mean boring. Before, I would only eat the same thing everyday, day in and day out. But that gets old. Once your in a routine and happy with the food your eating, all the cravings go away for junk food. If I need something sweet, especially after dinner, I have been making my own sorbet. I bought a Vitamix, which is the best purchase I have made in a long time. It is a blender, but it does everything. I made strawberry lime sorbet the other night. And all I put it in was water, a pound of frozen strawberries, a whole lime, and a few squirts of agave. Agave is a natural sweetner that does not mess with your insulin and blood sugar levels. It is really sweet too, so I use it instead of sugar because it is healthier for you. Basically, I eat only organic meats that are not treated with any antibiotics or hormones. I think that is really important because if they are eating like shit, that means I am eating like shit. If I eat red meat, which is occasionally, I will eat grass fed red meat. Again, if cows are eating crap like grain, which their bodies naturally do not have the enzymes for, they get sick, have parasites, and then are given high dosages of medicine, that in turn is going into my body. My philosophy really is, the more natural the better. It takes a lot of time and energy to eat this way, but I feel great and I know my body is performing at the optimal level, because I put the optimal food energy into my body.

Gray Nominated for The Tequila CAZADORES® Spirit Award

Gray — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 23:06:42 +0000

I am humbled to be nominated for The Tequila CAZADORES® Spirit Award. It is presented to UFC fighters who have demonstrated honor and integrity both in and out of the Octagon. These nominees have embodied the core values of social responsibility, sportsmanship, and dedication to mixed martial arts. Tequila CAZADORES® will present a $1000 check to the winner’s designated charity. I could use your votes to help out my charity. I appreciate your votes and support! VOTE HERE