Nate Diaz vs. Gray Maynard Headlines UFN 20

by Scott Haber on Oct 20, 2009 7:26 PM EDT

Promoted from the FanPosts by Kid Nate.

Two lightweights who were both victorious in their headlining bouts at UFC Fight Night 19 in September, will face off in the main event of the yet-to-be-announced UFN 20 in Fairfax, Virginia on January 11th, when Nate Diaz (11-4, 6-2 UFC) meets Gray Maynard (8-0, 6-0, 1 NC UFC) according to Diaz's camp at GracieFighter.com:

Nathan Diaz has signed to fight Gray Maynard in the UFC at Spike TV's January 11th show in Virginia. Diaz vs. Maynard will be the main event.

The two have already fought once, when Diaz submitted Maynard with a guillotine in the semifinals of the fifth season of The Ultimate Fighter, although the bout technically counts as an exhibition and is not included in their official records. Diaz went on to win that season when he defeated Manny Gamburyan due to an injury at the Finale. Although he has at-times dazzled with his submission prowess, Diaz has also shown he cannot handle the overwhelming top control of strong wrestlers, as evidenced by his decision losses to Clay Guida and Joe Stevenson. He will certainly have his hands full with Maynard who may have the best wrestling at 155 lbs in the UFC.

After going to a no-contest with Rob Emerson at the TUF 5 finale thanks to a simultaneous injury and KO, "The Bully" has been flawless, racking up six straight wins against the likes of Jim Miller, Frankie Edgar, and most recently, Roger Huerta. Although his smothering top game has earned him a reputation as a "boring" fighter, Maynard has drastically improved his striking and has at times elected to keep the fight standing, particularly when facing an equally strong grappler like he did against Jim Miller. Maynard look to do the same against Diaz, who can compensate for his lack of takedown defense with his slick guard, as Maynard already found out the hard way when he got choked out on TUF.

While also confirming the fight, MMA Junkie has indicated that if Maynard defeats Diaz, he will be granted the next lightweight title shot against the winner of Diego Sanchez vs. BJ Penn at UFC 107.

Current rumored UFN 20 Card:

Nate Diaz vs. Gray Maynard - Main Event

Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce

Efrain Escudero vs. Nik Lentz

Chris Leben vs. Jay Silva

Tom Lawlor vs. Aaron Simpson

Jesse Lennox vs. Rick Story

Mike Guymon vs. Rory MacDonald

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.

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Comments

Well now we know the main event will go the distance

Not feeling this fight. Why does Nate Diaz have to headline ANOTHER fight night?

October 11th, 2009: The day Justin Forsett became loved by Seahawks fans forever.

by SSreporters on Oct 20, 2009 7:28 PM EDT reply actions

Who cares? Whether you like Nate or not, his fights are always good.

Visit MMAEruption.com!

by MMAEruption on Oct 20, 2009 7:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Not my point

I’d rather have some variety in the types of fighters on UFNs, not just Diaz, Maynard, Leben, etc.

October 11th, 2009: The day Justin Forsett became loved by Seahawks fans forever.

by SSreporters on Oct 20, 2009 7:47 PM EDT up reply actions

lol

"he's the best punchy face man in the buisness"

by blubber_guard on Oct 22, 2009 8:32 AM EDT up reply actions

The only thing those guys have in commen is they are TUF alum. The all fit the bill for a UFN. Thats what UFN is for. Bigger names means a numbered event and higher costs all around.

by szucconi on Oct 22, 2009 8:43 AM EDT up reply actions

I kind of know what you are saying because this is a good chance for the UFC to put another prospect into a headlining spot that hasn’t headlined a TUF Finale or UFN. The fight should be pretty good, and I would like to see Diaz submit Maynard like he did on TUF 5.

by chrisbboy82 on Oct 20, 2009 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Could be in his contract.

A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.

by iiowyn on Oct 21, 2009 9:01 AM EDT up reply actions

SSReporters:

Not sure I am feeling this matchup.

woooburn:

weird fight for maynard. he better get a damn title shot if he wins

SMC:

Nice rematch from TUF 5. Has Maynard improved enough to not get subbed again?

woooburn:

that’s what i’m thinking. testing his submission defense before he has to dive into the deep end against bj.

by Scott Haber on Oct 20, 2009 7:28 PM EDT reply actions

Maynard gassed in his TUF loss to Diaz. He should do better this time around.

Visit MMAEruption.com!

by MMAEruption on Oct 20, 2009 7:36 PM EDT reply actions

I personally am not a fan of both these fighters!

Nate Diaz’s personality bugs me, and Gray Maynard lost me as a fan when he LnPed a victory over Rich Clementi. Both are great fighters though, don’t get me wrong. If I had to choose someone to win, it would be Nate Diaz.

by chrisbboy82 on Oct 20, 2009 7:36 PM EDT reply actions

Good, good fight.

If Nate Diaz’s striking is enough to make Maynard feel uncomfortable about his, we could see a fun fight. If Maynard just has a monster advantage on the feet… we won’t.

This shirt is "dry clean only", which means it's dirty.

by Sam Cupitt on Oct 20, 2009 8:00 PM EDT reply actions

am I the only one

who thinks maynard deserves a bigger fight? diaz was gettin pretty messed up by guillard, which would be a 3rd straight loss, had he not pulled off the sub..

by Hendo_One-Shot on Oct 20, 2009 8:12 PM EDT reply actions

nate diaz has never been finished in a fight. He has only lost 3 decisions. I predict if maynard does win it will be by stay in guard decision.(which will probably be his game plan)

by mr. gogoplata on Oct 20, 2009 9:58 PM EDT up reply actions

"nate diaz has never been finished in a fight."

False…Hermes Franca submitted him in 2006 in the WEC.

by Scott Haber on Oct 20, 2009 10:04 PM EDT up reply actions

opps still with my predict though maynard wont submit him

by mr. gogoplata on Oct 20, 2009 10:21 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree with you on that point ;)

by Scott Haber on Oct 20, 2009 10:26 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree.

Would’ve like to have seen Joe Stevenson vs. Maynard.

by scrambledeggs on Oct 21, 2009 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions

diaz was gettin pretty messed up by guillard, which would be a 3rd straight loss, had he not pulled off the sub..

So, what you’re saying is that Nate Diaz wasn’t winning the fight until he won the fight?

I hate those guys that only win the end of the fight!

...Behold, a pale horse. The man that sat upon it was Wieters, and hell followed with him.

"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard

by Brett Jones on Oct 21, 2009 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions

No one complains when Nogueira does that.

Why isn’t it acceptable for Diaz?

I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.

by Llewdor on Oct 21, 2009 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Because people are fools.

...Behold, a pale horse. The man that sat upon it was Wieters, and hell followed with him.

"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard

by Brett Jones on Oct 21, 2009 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions

This bothers me too

The best was “Shogun would have won the Forrest fight if he hadn’t been submitted”, but I forget where I saw it

by Tedd Welch on Oct 21, 2009 10:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Right on.

I mean, yeah, if Shogun had not been forced to submit, he wouldn’t have lost. Ok, fine. And if my grandmother had wheels, she’d be a bicycle.

...Behold, a pale horse. The man that sat upon it was Wieters, and hell followed with him.

"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard

by Brett Jones on Oct 22, 2009 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions

yea..

but the last part of that post is th emost important part

he did, pull off the sub

fedor was getting tagged and frustrated by arlovski if it wasn’t for that pesky overhand

"he's the best punchy face man in the buisness"

by blubber_guard on Oct 22, 2009 8:33 AM EDT up reply actions

I’m in no hurry to see any of these younger guys lose to BJ Penn. Match-ups like this are what will create contenders and new stars for next year.

by Ahhhoki on Oct 20, 2009 9:56 PM EDT reply actions

if Aaron Simpson/Tom Lawlor gets snubbed from the main card, I will be highly pissed.

by "Mr. NC-17" on Oct 20, 2009 10:38 PM EDT reply actions

I love me some Lawlor

With you on this one

'He built his whole reputation as a waffle house chef. They’ve been serving him up ham and eggs with a side of canned tomatoes' - Don Frye on Fedor Emelianenko

by Well Read Idiot on Oct 21, 2009 9:15 AM EDT up reply actions

If you’re a fan of Lawlor then you don’t want to see this fight, because he’s going to get taken apart.

by scrambledeggs on Oct 21, 2009 11:09 AM EDT up reply actions

I can't wait...

I’m gonna be screaming for Diaz to submit Maynard! You think Dana will come to the area and give away tickets? And, if so, does leaving work early to meet up with DW for said tickets count as a “family emergency”?

I'm the kind of girl who loves to watch a GOOD fight!
--------
Join the DC Area UFC Meetup Group
http://www.meetup.com/DCUFCGroup

by funnytiger on Oct 20, 2009 10:48 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Who will get the next shot if Diaz wins?

Everyone in the top 10 besides Maynard has a loss in their past 3 fights. There will be no one ready. Edgar would be the best option and he lost a couple fights ago to Maynard

by HighNoon on Oct 21, 2009 12:21 AM EDT reply actions

If Tyson Griffin and Edgar win their upcoming fights

I think they’ll be at the top of the heap, and hell, I wouldn’t mind seeing those two put on a rematch to determine a clear-cut #1 contender.

by Scott Haber on Oct 21, 2009 12:38 AM EDT up reply actions

I would love to see those two fight again for any reason to be honest.

A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.

by iiowyn on Oct 21, 2009 9:03 AM EDT up reply actions

That's a fight that needs a rematch.

Griffin-Edgar is one of the five best fights I’ve ever seen.

I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.

by Llewdor on Oct 21, 2009 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions

This is def an odd fight for Maynard. Def feel he is further up the ladder than Diaz at this point considering Diaz has lost a few fights in his last 5.

With that being said, I expect Maynard to control this fight similar to when Diaz fought Guida.

by oasis77 on Oct 21, 2009 8:15 AM EDT reply actions

With less cuddling and fewer full nelsons

'He built his whole reputation as a waffle house chef. They’ve been serving him up ham and eggs with a side of canned tomatoes' - Don Frye on Fedor Emelianenko

by Well Read Idiot on Oct 21, 2009 9:16 AM EDT up reply actions

It’s probably a scheduling issue. Most other top LW’s are booked up already.

Visit MMAEruption.com!

by MMAEruption on Oct 21, 2009 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Maynard by stifling.

Keep firing Assholes!

Never trust a man with no shirt on.

by Ubernoober on Oct 21, 2009 10:05 AM EDT reply actions

Fight Night 20

Now all we need is for them to add Brandon Vera to the card after he smashes Randy Couture.

...Behold, a pale horse. The man that sat upon it was Wieters, and hell followed with him.

"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard

by Brett Jones on Oct 21, 2009 12:12 PM EDT reply actions

if he were to lose to Couture, the UFN would be the place for him. Not so much if he smashes him.

by szucconi on Oct 21, 2009 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions

I think he’s going to TKO Randy.

by oasis77 on Oct 21, 2009 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions

I think he will smash Randy, but that boosts him up beyond UFN level. And I want him to fight in VA. He trains locally.

by szucconi on Oct 21, 2009 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes Steve, but if he loses, it’s unlikely he’ll have another fight so soon after a loss. There’s about two months between his fight with Couture and Fight Night 20; barely enough time for a decent training camp.

...Behold, a pale horse. The man that sat upon it was Wieters, and hell followed with him.

"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard

by Brett Jones on Oct 21, 2009 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Pretty Decent Card

"Hey, sewer rat may taste like pumpkin pie, but I'd never know 'cause I wouldn't eat the filthy motherf**ker" - Jules Winnfield

by WeaponElDeem on Oct 21, 2009 1:22 PM EDT reply actions

I guess they want to feed Maynard another name to compensate for his lack of popularity. He should easily win a decision.

by omigawda on Oct 21, 2009 1:30 PM EDT reply actions

I am not saying neither man has improved, but…

In the second semifinal bout, Nate Diaz defeats Gray Maynard by submission (guillotine choke) in the second round.

This is a rematch of sorts and Nate is up 1-0.

by szucconi on Oct 21, 2009 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Maynards far better now, while Diaz keeps getting dominated by wrestlers. Maynards standup looked decent in his last fight too, he’s evolving into a very dangerous fighter.

by omigawda on Oct 22, 2009 1:55 AM EDT up reply actions

Nice

I can’t wait for this. I drive 15 min. and I am there. I am going too tailgate it in the cold!!! Its gonna rock!!!!!!!!!!

by GoldmedalGrappling on Oct 21, 2009 1:52 PM EDT reply actions

I'm going to steal a hot dog and run!

Its gonna rock!!!! ;)

I'm the kind of girl who loves to watch a GOOD fight!
--------
Join the DC Area UFC Meetup Group
http://www.meetup.com/DCUFCGroup

by funnytiger on Oct 21, 2009 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions

I will ask nicely for a hotdog. and maybe a beer.

by szucconi on Oct 21, 2009 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions

No prob

I will let people on here know how to find me before the fight. I will have some good food and we will have a few beers before.

by GoldmedalGrappling on Oct 21, 2009 2:45 PM EDT reply actions

I am just kidding. My aunt live right around the corner. I won’t mooch your food, I will mooch hers.

by szucconi on Oct 21, 2009 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions

count me in

for the mooching… :)

is there anything you wants me to bring other than an appetite? lol

I'm the kind of girl who loves to watch a GOOD fight!
--------
Join the DC Area UFC Meetup Group
http://www.meetup.com/DCUFCGroup

by funnytiger on Oct 21, 2009 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Nah

just appetite. I have a pretty bad ass grill set up for tailgaiting. Sucks I am using if for the Redskins right now!

by GoldmedalGrappling on Oct 22, 2009 10:31 AM EDT up reply actions

HTTR
I to am (still) a redskins fan.

by szucconi on Oct 22, 2009 10:40 AM EDT up reply actions

Don’t they relegate the grills to specific sections of the parking lots, which are what, about a thousand miles away from FedEx?

...Behold, a pale horse. The man that sat upon it was Wieters, and hell followed with him.

"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard

by Brett Jones on Oct 22, 2009 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions

This is exaggerated. We tailgated twice that distance when we went to pissy-net for the Ravens-Redskins game. FedEx is a fine stadium and its not in baltimore.

by szucconi on Oct 22, 2009 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh I am a still a fan

But you have to be honest. What you think we are good right now. I am going to be there tonight cheering them on but damn we are a bad team as of right now. You have to be honest about it. I have season tix so I can be mad about it. How about you fork out the cash I did and see if you are mad at the product you paid to watch.

by GoldmedalGrappling on Oct 26, 2009 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions