The MMA News caught up with lightweight contender Gray “The Bully” Maynard, who is coming of a recent decision victory over the always dangerous Nate Diaz. Maynard remains unbeaten in his 9 professional bouts and a title shot seems to be on the horizon for the Extreme Couture standout.

Terry (TheMMANews):”You are coming off win vs. Nate Diaz. Tell us a little bit about that fight, and what the game plan was going into it.”

Gray: “Anytime you’re going up against a tall southpaw with a lot of reach and great jui jitsu, it’s always going to be a tough fight. Going into the fight we were confident I could win the stand up battle and the ground game. But I needed to be smart and posture up if I got on top of him.”

Terry (TheMMANews):”With Diaz being the only fighter to beat you, during the Ultimate Fighter show, did you feel more pressure going into this fight?”

Gray: “Of course I wanted to avenge the loss I had to him earlier. Nate’s a tough opponent, so it was easy to keep focused on my training for the fight.”

Terry (TheMMANews): “Diaz is a fighter that feeds off emotion, and making things personal in the Octagon. This is usually not your style but Diaz seemed to bring out this quality in you. Was this a result of all the trash talking instigated by Diaz during the fight, or was there a bit of dislike towards one another going into the fight?”

Gray:”Not at all. I think we both are competitors and know what we need to do when we get in there to compete. That’s just what Nate does when he fights and that’s ok. I’m also the type of guy that doesn’t back down or let anyone push me around. I don’t really try to instigate anything either. I might have gotten a little carried away in there, but that happens and I need to learn from it and improve in that area for my next fight.”

Terry (TheMMANews): “You are currently the only fighter to beat Frankie Edgar who has been announced to fight BJ Penn for the lightweight title. Is this a title shot you feel you deserved at this point, or are you ok with patiently waiting to be next in line?”

Gray: “Frankie has beat some tough opponents. I think it’s more of a timing issue than anything. The UFC plans fights months ahead of time, especially a title fight. That’s why they are able to put on the best fights in the world, because they give everyone proper time to train and prepare. They knew Frankie and BJ would be ready to go on the date they had planned. That’s what they decided, this is a business and I’m an employee. I don’t take anything personal and they know what’s best for the company and the fighters. I’m confident that I will get my shot at the belt. I just need to stay focused and keep growing as a fighter.”

Terry (TheMMANews): “You were originally brought in by BJ Penn as a training partner how was this experience at the time, and have you trained with BJ since?”

Gray: “I had a great experience training with BJ in Hilo. It was definitely an eye opener early in my career to the sport. He knows so much about MMA and has a great training environment down there. I didn’t have a chance to train with him again until the TV show. That was a little different because there
are some restraints on how and when you can train, so I wasn’t able to get as much out of it as I did when I went to Hilo. But it gave me an opportunity to fight for the UFC.”

Terry (TheMMANews): “BJ Penn has looked unstoppable in his recent bouts at lightweight. How do you feel the fight between him and Frankie Edgar will do down, and do you feel the only way to beat BJ at this point is to learn from George St Pierre and out wrestle him?”

Gray: “First of all nobody is unstoppable. This is the fight game and on any given day anybody can be beat. I grew up wrestling since I was 3 and I can’t even count how many times I’ve heard that a guy can’t be beat and then he gets beat. A couple wrestlers that come to mind is Dan Gable and Alexander
Karelin. It’s just the way combat sports go, that’s why it makes them so interesting. But, BJ has looked great his last couple fights. I don’t like to predict fights, I know they both will be prepared and come in with a good game plan. I haven’t really sat down and got a game plan for BJ yet, because I haven’t had to fight him. GSP did give a blueprint on how to fight BJ, but that doesn’t mean it will work for everyone. I’m excited to watch their fight though.”

Terry (TheMMANews): “How has the experience of training with UFC legend Randy Couture and
his Extreme Couture gym been?”

Gray: “Randy has be a great leader for all of us. His knowledge and work ethic is second to none and he’s always trying to improve. It’s a great place to train and I’m fortunate to be a part of the family. We’ve been together for a while and it’s made me the fighter I am today.”

Terry (TheMMANews): “With you being one of the most accomplished wrestlers in a 155 pound division that is filled with talented wrestlers, has your main emphasis since making the change to MMA been working to improve your striking game, or are you always looking to improve on your wrestling skills to stay on top of the game?”

Gray: “I’ve been with my boxing coach for about two and half years now. I have really enjoyed working with him and learning the sport. There’s so much that goes into training for MMA, it always seems like there isn’t enough time in the day to fit in everything. But I always get wrestling in somewhere. It’s important for me to grow in every area, even in wrestling.”

Terry (TheMMANews): “If you are to fight win one more fight before being given a title
shot, what is the fight you feel would be the most beneficial to your career at this time?”

Gray: “It’s not really my job to pick my fights. It’s a talented weight class with
lots of possibilities. I know the UFC has a plan, I just have to wait and see what their plan is for me.”

Terry (TheMMANews): “Is there anything you would like to say to your fans?
Thanks for watching and supporting me and the sport of MMA. Without you
guys all of this wouldn’t be possible. Thank you. Check out www.graymaynard.com”