Unlike many trilogies, though the finish put a stamp on their trio of tilts it didn’t break a tie so much as created one thanks to a January 2011 Draw between Maynard-Edgar. With things at 1-1-1, the 32-year old Maynard has since said he’d like to give it one more go at some point in the future with the belt preferably being involved.

“The title has always been the goal,” initially explained Maynard in an interview with HeavyMMA before adding, “I would love to have the belt and somewhere along the line, get another fight with Edgar. We are 1-1-1 and we need to settle it once and for all. It has to happen eventually, and after that fight we can both be done. We can walk away knowing it’s over and that we gave MMA fans some great fights to look back on.”

Turning fantasy into reality will first involve beating Clay Guida on June 22 in a five-round headliner at UFC on FX 4. On that topic, Maynard showed due respect to Guida for his aggressive grappling and endless cardio, also pointing to the bout as being indicative of how deep the 155-pound weight-class is.

“The lightweight division is like a drama. It is like a good soap opera that draws you in because it’s not built up off bullsh*t hype. There is no fake build-up where guys are talking a bunch of sh*t in order to get fan’s attention,” said an animated Maynard. “It’s all in the actual fights people are seeing, and it is the most competitive weight class in the UFC, hands down. The skill and heart displayed in our division is without comparison. We go out there, put it all on the line and get after it from bell to bell.”

Other big lightweight match-ups on the horizon include Edgar vs. Benson Henderson and Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The show is set for June 22 from Atlantic City, New Jersey and will mark the organization’s return to the fight-friendly town in more than five years.

Maynard was last in action against then-UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar with “The Answer” ending their trilogy with a knockout victory after weathering an early storm. The loss was the first of Maynard’s career who holds an earlier win over Edgar as well as success against Kenny Florian, Jim Miller, and Nate Diaz.

Comparably, “The Carpenter” had a four-fight winning streak snapped against current 155-pound king Benson Henderson last November. The loss dropped the popular Guida’s overall record to 29-12 with nine victories inside the Octagon.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

With Mendes providing a very strong challenge to his reign as featherweight champ Aldo knew improving his takedown defense was important. As such, he brought Gray Maynard down to train with him recently. “The Bully” is a former standout at Michigan State University and nearly claimed the UFC lightweight title from Frankie Edgar on more than one occasion.

“We met a few times at UFC events, and from there we started a friendship,” said Aldo in a video documenting his time with Maynard. “It’s great to have such a talented guy come over. And thank God now was a good time for him.”

Mendes is a member of Team Alpha Male out of California, training with the likes of Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez. He is a NCAA runner-up while competing at Cal Poly. His bout against Aldo will serve as the main event for the UFC’s return to Brazil, as the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro will play host to the card. Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson tangle in the co-main event.

Check out the video of Aldo-Maynard below:

Gray Maynard

“I am going into this fight angry,” Maynard wrote in his blog for Sportsnet. “Not angry at Edgar – he did what he had to and is tough and a good fighter. Nothing personal with him, other than I need to beat him worse than ever to make sure everyone understands I am the best fighter at 155 pounds.”

Edgar (13-1-1) and Maynard (10-0-1) will be facing off for the third time on October 8 at UFC 136. Maynard won the first meeting, while the two fought to a five-round draw for Edgar’s lightweight title back in January.

For the Ultimate Fighter alum, taking the title off of Edgar is the only way to gain respect in the sport. Maynard isn’t much for pre-fight talk, preferring to display his abilities and talents inside the Octagon.

“I come from college wrestling, and I had that mentality drilled into me where you don’t talk smack, you don’t praise yourself, there no “I” in team, you just work hard, get the results and you will be recognized for what you actually accomplish in the sport,” Maynard wrote. “That works great in college wrestling, but five years into my MMA career, I know now it doesn’t work exactly like that in the UFC.”

“The Bully” was upset following the decision by the judges to declare the bout a draw, as he felt like he was quite deserving of the win. After stepping back, however, Maynard realized that he needs to be more aggressive and look to finish Edgar once and for all.

“Even now, having beat Edgar one time and doing the most damage and nearly knocking him out in the rematch, he’s the favorite to win this third fight,” Maynard posted. “It is funny, I really don’t know how else to say it other than how I feel: I don’t think I am getting the credit I deserve.”

The first meeting between these two went to Maynard via unanimous decision in 2008. Maynard went on to defeat the likes of Jim Miller, Roger Huerta, Nate Diaz, and Kenny Florian, while Edgar has beaten B.J. Penn twice including a defense of the title he took from the popular Hawaiian.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The UFC spread word of the main event match-up earlier today through their Twitter account confirming both 155ers had fully recovered from the injury issues preventing their previously scheduled fight at UFC 130.

Edgar was viciously dropped early on the last time he tangled with Maynard but regained his composure to even up the scorecards at the end of their five-round war in January. However, while not a loss, the outing put an end to a winning streak including success against Sean Sherk and a pair of victories over B.J. Penn. It also involved the second time Maynard ended an impressive run for Edgar.

The undefeated Xtreme Couture original handed the current champ the first and only loss of his career after outpointing Edgar in 2008 at Fight Night 13 through his trademark style of grinding opponents down. Maynard boasts an overall record of 10-0-1 with eight wins in the Octagon, as well as other winning performances against a number of respected peers like Roger Huerta, Nate Diaz, Jim Miller, and Ken Florian.

Today’s news caps off a busy stretch for UFC matchmaker Joe Silva in relation to UFC 136 with a handful of other fights also recently announced including hot heavyweights Dave Herman and Mike Russow squaring off at the show, as well as submission specialist Demian Maia dueling well-rounded adversary Jorge Santiago and rising contender Brian Stann against recent title-challenger Chael Sonnen in 185-pound action.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Such a perfect storm has unfortunately appeared on the forecast for May, as UFC lightweight champ Frank Edgar and top contender Gray Maynard have both been sidelined with damage sustained while training for their UFC 130 title-fight and will no longer be fighting over Memorial Day Weekend as a result.

News of the cancellation first surfaced by MMAFighting with the UFC confirming the show-altering circumstances within minutes of their report while also relaying word the pairing of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Matt Hamill will now serve as the main event. Additionally, Thiago Alves vs. Rick Story will be bumped up from the preliminary portion to the PPV card.

While specifics of the injuries were not readily available in terms of complete damage or recovery time, Edgar was said to have suffered broken ribs while Maynard’s knee in the source of his setback.

The May 28 match-up would have marked the third time the two had fought with Maynard handing Edgar the only loss of his career three years ago and then nearly knocking him out in a rematch at UFC 125 only to see the 155-pound champ battle back to retain his belt by way of a Draw.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

News of the change was announced by Dana White hours after the conclusion of UFC 125 in a conversation with MMAFighting where the UFC President explained, “You can’t NOT give Maynard this fight. You’ve gotta give this kid the immediate rematch. You know, I’ve been thinking about it for hours, and I know I told Craig (Borsari) to go to the press conference and say Pettis is gettin’ it – Pettis isn’t getting it. Maynard is getting this rematch.”

The announcement will undoubtedly bring a great deal of relief to Maynard who was visibly emotional when speaking to media at the press conference, especially when then subject Pettis’ title-shot came up rather than a rematch. Like a number of other people watching last Saturday night, “The Bully” was clear in saying he felt he had done enough to win gold after knocking Edgar down a number of times during the fight’s opening round and earning a few more frames thereafter.

The switch should sit fine with Edgar as well, as the 13-1-1 champion spoke of his preference for a final crack at Maynard rather than a scrap with Pettis in hopes of receiving some closure from their New Year’s Day encounter (not to mention his previous loss to the XTreme Couture original).

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Gray Maynard Talks Frank Edgar and More (FIGHT! Magazine)

Jason Miller Talks About Diaz Pulling a “Nick-Tuck” in Relation to Their Fight (MMAFighting.com)

WEC 53′s Ratings Not in Company’s “Top 5″ All-Time (HeavyMMA.com)

Wanderlei Silva Discusses a Training Session He Once Had with Chael Sonnen (WatchKalibRun.com)

Dana White Shows Soft-Side by Helping Family in Need (MMAScraps.com)

Controversial Decision Loss for Hermes Franca Ruled “No Contest” (MiddleEasy.com)

Todd Duffee May or May Not Be Alistair Overeem’s Opponent on New Year’s Eve (MMAConvert.com)

Ariel Helwani Picks his Award-Winners of 2010 (Versus.com)

A Side-by-Side Comparison of Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard (CagePotato.com)

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

As always, don’t consider this gospel. The fact is, when two finely-tuned individuals step into a cage and let loose the difference between consciousness and looking up at the ceiling is a matter of milliseconds no matter who is ranked where. The individuality inherently involved in a subjective endeavor like ranking fighters, many of whom could easily be argued as deserving different spots based on personal criteria, is not only recognized on Five Ounces’ end but also encouraged in the form of offering your own lists in the “Comments” section below.

1. Frank Edgar (13-1)

Edgar’s mixture of boxing, wrestling, and conditioning make him extremely difficult to defeat as evident in two consecutive wins over a man who was believed to be unbeatable at 155-pounds, B.J. Penn. The UFC lightweight champ’s speed is also among the best in the division. While I’m far from confident he’d handle any of the four men below him, I’ll never doubt Edgar’s ability to emerge victorious in the face of adversity. He may have fallen victim to Gray Maynard’s ground-control and size/strength advantage when they originally faced off, but with his dubyas over Penn, plus Sean Sherk, Tyson Griffin, and Jim Miller, I think he’s definitely deserving of the division’s top spot until at least the conclusion of UFC 125 when the world has a chance to see how he handles “The Bully” a second time.

2. Gilbert Melendez (18-2)

“El Nino” reminds me a bit of Edgar in terms of technical prowess with power in place of the New Jersey fighter’s quickness. He’s rarely outwrestled and can stand with the best if a fight’s pacing dicates the necessity to do so (or he simply feels like proving a point). I personally thought he deserved the decision over Mitsuhiro Ishida at “Yarennoka 2007”, and would have likely received it had the bout been somewhere other than Japan, but a loss is a loss and there is no arguing his underwhelming performance against Josh Thomson in June 2008. However, I believe he grew from each experience and is even better today. For evidence of his evolution, look at the fact he knocked Ishida out in their rematch and thoroughly dominated Thomson when they faced off again, not to mention his dismantling of Shinya Aoki earlier this year.

3. Eddie Alvarez (21-2)

For those that might question Alvarez’s ranking, especially when you consider neither of his career losses have involved the judges’ scorecards, I think the proof is in the poundings. Alvarez has only won by decision twice in his twenty-one total victories and is currently riding a streak of seven straight finishes. Maynard has half his wins and a tenth of his TKOs/submissions, while Penn is coming off back-to-back losses and won’t be returning to 155-pounds until mid-2011 (if ever). Alvarez has power, multi-tiered striking, athleticism, and high-level grappling. In baseball terms, Alvarez is a “five-tool” player, and from a rounded-skills standpoint might be the best overall in this total bunch.

4. B.J. Penn (16-7-1)

Penn is as unique as they come in MMA and defines what it means to be a genuine “fighter” better than most in the sport. His knockout of Matt Hughes at UFC 123 was amazing, as have been so many of his victories, and I truly believe a motivated Baby Jay is likely to mop the floor with anyone who doesn’t have phenomenal wrestling/top-control. He took former UFC 205-pound champ Lyoto Machida to decision in 2005. Need I say more?

5. Gray Maynard (10-0)

I have Maynard slightly above Aoki based on his boxing and wrestling, as those seemed to be two areas Aoki severely struggled in against Melendez and could be susceptible to again if by some incredible feat he was opposite “The Bully” in a ring. The XTreme Couture original has never cleanly fallen, only earning a “No Contest” after knocking himself and his opponent out with a slam, while racking up wins over multiple names on this list, including of course UFC champ Edgar, as well as the always-tough Nate Diaz and Roger Huerta. He may not always come away victorious in the most pleasing of fashions but he’s effective at what he does in the ring and will remain an extremely tough draw for any adversary until proven otherwise.

6. Shinya Aoki (26-5)

Aoki is a victim of not having consistently faced ranked lightweight competitors. While his affiliation with DREAM has allowed him to occasionally take on some of the division’s best, he also gets drawn into bouts built for padding his stats rather than furthering his career. He’s good enough to beat Alvarez, J.Z. Cavalcante, and Tatsuya Kawajiri, yet was completely out-classed by Melendez and has had his knees-knocked on more than one occasion in the past. There’s no question he’s a submission savant but until he improves his takedown defense and stand-up I see his future involving a number of ups and downs, and he can’t get better taking on people like Marcus Aurelio and Yokthai Sithoar in back-to-back bouts.

7. Sean Sherk (36-4-1)

“The Muscle Shark” is an interesting case, as all four of his career losses have come to former/current UFC champions (Penn, Edgar, Hughes, and Georges St. Pierre). Considering that fact, in addition to the notion he’s fought 41 times and beaten people like Ken Florian, Evan Dunham, and Nick Diaz, it almost seems as though he deserves to be higher on most lists, including this one. However, his victory over Dunham was razor-thin and saved him from consecutive defeats and he hasn’t been particularly active over the last few years. With five fights since 2007, two of which involved defeat, it’s difficult to know exactly how he stacks up in the mix. Though the 37-year old’s wrestling and top-control are top notch, they’re also his only real weapons in the cage and aren’t always enough to carry him to victory.

8. Ken Florian (13-5)

Florian is constantly on the cusp of lightweight greatness but hasn’t been able to get over the hump for some reason. He’s an underrated striker with solid wrestling and the ability to attack from any position on the ground. “KenFlo” has only been finished once at 155-pounds, to Penn, while submitting the likes of Clay Guida, Takanori Gomi, and Joe Stevenson, but also struggled in some of his biggest fights including both of his past title-shots (and most recently a bout against Maynard set to establish a top divisional contender).

9. George Sotiropoulos (14-2)

The Aussie is one of the hottest 155-pounders out there at the moment. He’s riding an eight-fight win streak, including convincing performances against Stevenson, Joe Lauzon, and Kurt Pellegrino. He’s also yet to be finished in sixteen bouts. His stand-up is crisp and diverse, while his BJJ is other-worldly at times and always a major threat to prematurely ending an opponent’s evening.

10. Evan Dunham (11-1)

Dunham is a rising star to be sure with a single loss thus far in his career (and a split-decision to Sherk at that). His performances haven’t been mind-blowing in nature but it’s hard to fault him too much when considering who he’s faced since joining the UFC. However, with each in-ring appearance, the diamond that Dunham is becomes more and more apparent. He’s growing from simply being good at everything to great.

11. Tatsuya Kawajiri (26-6-2)

Kawajiri has faced a number of talented lightweights over his years in Japan and, though he hasn’t always come out ahead in terms of result, he’s been a consistent competitor whose wrestling and power have been good enough to earn victory more often than not. His four losses over the past six years came to Melendez, Alvarez, Aoki, and a prime Gomi. Other than that, “Crusher” emerged victorious in all sixteen other bouts during that period minus a draw with Caol Uno in early 2004.

12. Jim Miller (18-2)

If Miller had more high-profile fights under his belt in the UFC I honestly believe he’d be a consensus “Top 10” guy. Miller has quietly racked up seven wins in the UFC with single loss to Maynard at UFC 96. He’s won his last five bouts while beating respectable adversaries like Mac Danzig, Duane Ludwig, and Mark Bocek during the streak. On top of that, the 27-year old New Jersey native has never been finished in his career and his only other loss besides Maynard came to Edgar four years ago.

13. K.J. Noons (9-2)

Though Noons hasn’t necessarily fought any “Top 10” lightweights, he went five full rounds against Five Ounces’ #4 welterweight (the elder Diaz) last October and put enough pepper on his face in their previous match-up to merit a doctor’s stoppage. He’s perhaps the most powerful, boxing-based fighter in this group and has shown improvement in terms of both his wrestling and submission-defense as of late. He’d won six straight prior to the decision loss to Diaz and was not only the first person to TKO Jorge Gurgel, but the last person to finish Yves Edwards (two years ago).

14. Ben Henderson (12-1)

It’s easy to appreciate Henderson’s athleticism and submission-skills, as well as his precision when standing, but unfortunately he’s only fought three times in the last eighteen months against a combination of two opponents (Jamie Varner and Donald Cerrone). If he gets by Anthony Pettis at WEC 53, there’s no doubt “Bendo” will continue to climb in the rankings as his UFC career blossoms. However, until fans see him in the Octagon with a few ranked, seasoned veterans it will be hard to determine exactly how far up he can go.

15. Josh Thomson (18-3)

There are a number of worthwhile Mixed Martial Artists as deserving of this spot as Thomson but I picked “The Punk” for a few reasons. He’s 10-1 in his last eleven fights with the only defeat coming to Melendez in their rematch. Within those ten victories is a dominating decision against the afore-mentioned Melendez, as well as a hard-fought win over widely-respected Brazilian (J.Z.) Cavalcante and a few other worthwhile foes like Ludwig, Nam Phan, and Pat Healy. He’s only been finished a single time in his career, and is also a really good wrestler with excellent conditioning and quick, accurate striking. Though he may not get the respect he would if he still fought for Zuffa, he still deserves consideration for what he’s accomplished outside of the Octagon.

Honorable Mentions

Gesias “J.Z.” Cavalcante (15-4-1): The American Top Team representative hasn’t recovered his stride since a slew of injuries sidelined him in 2008-2009, but he’s still an extremely talented individual with significant wins in his career and a full bag of tricks to pull from inside the ring. He’s also never been TKO’d or submitted.
Takanori Gomi (32-6): “The Fireball Kid” is still clinging on to rankings-relevance after being one of, if not the, most exciting lightweights in MMA during his run in PRIDE/Shooto. He’s 3-3 in his last six fights, but looked to have possibly recaptured the same magic bringing him to the forefront of the sport when he knocked Tyson Griffin out this past August.

Lightweight champ Frank Edgar will defend his strap against the only individual to beat him, Gray Maynard, in the evening’s main event. Edgar lost a unanimous decision to Maynard in April 2008 before going on to win six straight bouts including two consecutive wins over former title-holder BJ Penn. Comparably, Maynard has won five fights in a row over a list of opponents featuring Nate Diaz, Roger Huerta, and most recently Ken Florian.

Also scheduled to see action on January 1st, 2011 in Las Vegas, Shane Carwin and Roy Nelson will settle their personal differences in the cage and help sort out the heavyweight contendership picture in the process. “Big Country” recently poked fun at Carwin’s alleged involvement in a steroid distribution ring with Carwin responding by taking verbal jabs at Nelson’s physique.

In addition to Edgar vs. Maynard II and Nelson vs. Carwin, the other “UFC 125 – Resolution” match-ups confirmed by the company are as follows:

Clay Guida vs. Takanori Gomi
Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Thiago Silva vs. Brandon Vera
Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann

Nate Diaz Addresses Steroids as Only He Can (WatchKalibRun.com)

Kyra Gracie Goes Sans Gi for Magazine Cover (MiddleEasy.com)

Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard II Looking Likely for UFC 125 (Heavy.com)

Cooking with Miguel Torres? You Bet! (Versus.com)

M-1 Global Announces Upcoming Scheduled of Title Fights (FIGHT! Magazine)

WEC Contender Anthony Pettis Makes his MTV Debut (MMAScraps.com)

News on Joachim Hansen’s Next Fight (CagePotato.com)

Vitor Belfort Could Be Facing Anderson Silva on Superbowl Weekend (MMAConvert.com)

K-1 World Grand Prix Fighters Gather in Seoul (MMAFighting.com)

By evening’s end all three questions had been answered in as clear, concise a fashion as fans could have hoped for.

Maynard officially moved his undefeated streak into double-digits against Massachusetts’ own Florian with the takedowns and ground-control he’s become known for since debuting on the Ultimate Fighter Season 5. Though the end result was not necessarily pretty, it was certainly effective and earned “The Bully” a unanimous decision victory, as well as an eventual shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship.

Later in the evening, former double-division champ Randy Couture locked horns with boxing legend James Toney and wasted little time introducing the “mixed” aspect of MMA into things. Toney’s dangerous stand-up was neutralized less than thirty seconds into the fight after Couture landed a single-leg takedown and eased his way into mount. From there, “The Natural” made textbook work of Toney, softening him up with a few strikes before procuring an arm-triangle choke for the the nineteenth victory of his Hall of Fame career.

In main event action, former 155-pound champ Penn promised to offer a larger threat to current title-holder Edgar than he had when the two first fought at UFC 112. However, he was ultimately unable to do so and looked far poorer in the process than he did this past April when they first competed for the belt. Penn, who had been considered by many as the best lightweight of all time and a top pound-for-pound contender entering the bout, was outworked in all phases of the fight from start to finish and again landed on the losing end of a unanimous decision loss to the Jersey product as a result.

Next up for Edgar is Maynard, the only man to beat him thus far in a fourteen-fight career. The two originally faced off in April 2008 at Fight Night 13. The bout saw Maynard use his strength, size, and comparable wrestling skills to control Edgar throughout the bulk of the action and walk away with the judges’ favor for his performance.

The full list of UFC 118 results is as follows:

Mike Pierce def. Amilcar Alves via Submission Round 3 (Armbar)
Greg Soto def. Nick Osipczak via Unanimous Decision
Dan Miller def. John Salter via Submission Round 2 (Anaconda Choke)
Nik Lentz def. Andre Winner via Unanimous Decision
Joe Lauzon def. Gabe Ruediger via Submission Round 1 (Armbar)
Nate Diaz def. Marcus Davis via Submission Round 3 (Guillotine Choke)
Gray Maynard def. Ken Florian via Unanimous Decision
Demian Maia def. Mario Miranda via Unanimous Decision
Randy Couture def. James Toney via Submission Round 1 (Arm-Triangle Choke)
Frank Edgar def. BJ Penn via Unanimous Decision

Toney stepped on the scale at 237 pounds, officially seventeen clicks higher than Couture who measured in at 220 with blue jeans, socks, and over-priced dogtags still on his frame.

Also unique to the weigh-in was the presentation of a cake reading “Sorry for your loss!” to Joe Lauzon from opponent, newly signed Gabe Ruediger. Ruediger gained notoriety during his stint on the Ultimate Fighter Season 5 for eating chocolate cake, then coming in heavy to a fight and eventually losing his spot on the show for his inability to make weight.

For UFC 118, Ruediger apparently had no such issues and came in right at 155 pounds (while Lauzon was actually the bigger man at 156). Their preliminary fight, as is the clash between Nik Lentz and Andre Winner, will be available to watch on Spike TV before the PPV portion of the card.

The complete list of “UFC 118” weigh-in results is as follows:

Mike Pierce (171 lbs) vs. Amilcar Alves (171 lbs)
Nick Osipczak (171 lbs) vs. Greg Soto (170 lbs)
Dan Miller (185 lbs) vs. John Salter (185 lbs)
Andre Winner (154 lbs) vs. Nik Lentz (155 lbs)
Joe Lauzon (156 lbs) vs. Gabe Ruediger (155 lbs)
Demian Maia (184 lbs) vs. Mario Miranda (185 lbs)
Nate Diaz (171 lbs) vs. Marcus Davis (170 lbs)
Ken Florian (156 lbs) vs. Gray Maynard (156 lbs)
Randy Couture (220 lbs) vs. James Toney (237 lbs)
Frank Edgar (154 lbs) vs. BJ Penn (154 lbs)

The bout, scheduled for January 11th 2010 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA, has been confirmed through the Gracie camp via Graciefighter.com.

Diaz is coming off a submission victory over Melvin Guillard at UFC Fight Night 19 last month, ending a two fight-losing streak. The Gracie Jiu-Jitsu brown belt had won his previous five fights over such notables as Josh Neer and Kurt Pelligrino.

Maynard, who was also on TUF 5, is coming off a decision victory over Roger Huerta in Semptember. The Xtreme Couture fighter has won all six UFC appearances, since getting a no-contest at the TUF finale against Rob Emerson. “The Bully” has been climbing up the lightweight ranks and should be close to a title shot should he defeat Diaz.

The two are no strangers to each other in the cage, as they met head on during the semi-finals while both were on the Spike reality show back in 2007. Diaz beat Maynard by way of guillotine choke in the second round before eventually winning the finale against Manny Gambaryan.

UFC Fight Night 19 is slated for September 16 at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City.

The possibility of the bout was first reported by Sherdog.com and multiple sources have since confirmed that both men have agreed to the bout.

Maynard will be looking to improve upon his undefeated record in the octagon and inch himself closer to a lightweight title shot after five consecutive victories with his most recent coming over Jim Miller at UFC 96.

Huerta will be making his first return to action since his unanimous decision loss at the hands of Kenny Florian in August of 2008. He recently declined a new contract with the UFC to pursue a career in acting. The bout with Maynard will fulfill his obligations to the company.

Gray Maynard (6-0) vs. Jim Miller (13-1)

This fight is not an easy one to predict.

You have a fighter in Miller with tremendous submissions and good wrestling who is matched up against a fighter in Maynard who is a tremendous wrestler with good submissions.

I’ve long contended that Miller will eventually emerge as a top ten lightweight. The Jersey-based fighter is 2-0 since coming over to the UFC from the IFL and has recorded notable wins in the Octagon over David Baron at UFC 89 and against Matt Wiman on one week’s notice this past December at “UFC Fight for the Troops.”

But as big of a supporter as I am of Miller, Gray Maynard is simply a bad matchup. He’s not just a bad matchup for Miller, he’s apparently a bad matchup for everyone as the UFC has a great deal of trouble trying to secure opponents for him.

I think Miller is one of the best kept secrets in MMA but the world may not get to see that on Saturday. I can’t help but wonder whether Miller will suffer the same fate as Frankie Edgar at UFC Fight Night 13.

At UFN 13, Edgar was simply no match physically for Maynard. Despite being a top ten-caliber lightweight, Edgar was unable to compensate for the difference in size and strength. While Miller is a little bigger than Edgar, the difference in size is very slight.

In reality, we’re going to be watching an average sized lightweight in Miller trying to hold off a small welterweight in Maynard. Unless Miller catches Xtreme Couture product in a triangle or catches him on the chin, I just think Maynard’s size and strength will prove too much.

Prediction: Maynard via unanimous decision.

MMA Weekly was first to report the potential matchup and FiveOuncesOfPain.com has since confirmed the news with sources close to the fight.

Miller, who trains out of the AMA Fight Club in New Jersey, is 2-0 since making his UFC debut at UFC 89 in October. Facing David Baron, Miller submitted the Frenchman at 3:19 of round 3.

He recorded his second Octagon victory on just one week’s notice during last month’s “UFC Fight for the Troops” event after recording a unanimous decision win over Matt Wiman. The bout earned the UFC’s “Fight Night Bonus” as its “Fight of the Night.”

Overall, Miller is 13-1 with notable wins outside the UFC against Muhsin Corbbrey, James “Binky” Jones, Chris Liguori, Nuri Shakir, Anthony Morrison, and Bart Palaszewski.

Maynard trains out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas and is 6-0 with four of his victories having come in the UFC. The former college wrestling standout holds notable wins over Joe Veres, Dennis Siver, and Frankie Edgar. His most recent victory was at UFC 90 this past October, where he was awarded a unanimous decision win against Rich Clementi.

Maynard and Miller have a common opponent in Edgar, who Maynard was able to defeat but Miller lost to when the two New Jersey-based fighters met at Reality Fighting 14 in October of 2006. The loss is the only blemish on Miller’s record and the fight was a closely contested bout that went to the judges.

In addition to Maynard vs. Miller, other bouts expected for UFC 96 include heavyweights Shane Carwin vs. Gabriel Gonzaga along with a middleweight matchup between Kendall Grove and Jason Day.

Since that fight, Maynard has been missing in action, thanks largely in part to an injury. However, MMAjunkie.com is reporting that the former standout college wrestler appears set to return to action on Oct. 25 at UFC 90 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill in a lightweight bout with veteran Rich Clementi.

The fight has yet to be finalized but MMA Junkie is quoting sources connected to both camps as saying that signed bout agreements and a formal announcement could come soon.

Clementi is currently on a six fight win streak and holds notable wins in his career over Sam Stout, Melvin Guillard, Ryan Schultz, and Anthony Johnson.

Both Clementi and Maynard are alumni from the Spike TV reality television show “The Ultimate Fighter” with Maynard having appeared on season five and Clementi having been involved with season four, “The Comeback.”

UFC 90 is scheduled to be headlined by UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva defending his title against Patrick Cote. A fight between Diego Sanchez and Thiago Alves in which a winner will be granted a future shot at the UFC welterweight title is also slated as well.

In his weekly blog on The Fight Network’s website, Ranallo has revealed why his name is no longer attached to the broadcast.

“For you inquiring minds out there, the reason I am not going to be announcing the Affliction: Banned pay per view on Saturday, July 19th in Anaheim is due to my contractual obligations to EliteXC,” Ranallo stated. “I am looking forward to anchoring The Fight Network’s extensive coverage of the Affliction event and I know that Jay Glazer, Frank Trigg and the Fight Network’s own “Big” John McCarthy will do a superlative job of calling the action.”

Just a reminder that you can listen to Ranallo every Monday through Friday on Fight Network Radio at 3 p.m. ET on Sirius Channel 186. During a recent segment in which BloodyElbow.com’s Luke Thomas was a guest, Ranallo revealed that many of the production elements involved with EliteXC’s first show on CBS (the girls and the fireworks) will not be a part of the promotion’s second telecast on July 26.

Ranallo, a former play-by-play announcer for PRIDE, is also the play-by-play announcer for mixed martial arts events on SHOWTIME as well as a color commentator for EliteXC events that air on CBS. He also hosts a daily combat sports radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio and Hardcore Sports Radio every weekday from 3-4 p.m. ET.

McCarthy had been a long-time MMA referee before announcing his retirement last year in order to accept a dual executive-announcer with The Fight Network. He also owns a training center based out of California and is a former law enforcement official.

Affliction: Banned will be headlined by a main event featuring former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko taking on former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia in a match to decide the first-ever WAMMA heavyweight champion. Other bouts slated for the card include a rematch between former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo; Andrei Arlovski vs. Ben Rothwell and Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Negao.