6 Main Card Predictions For UFC Fight Night: Bader vs. Saint Preux

By Jay Anderson /

2. Gray Maynard vs. Ross Pearson

Weight Class: Lightweight The co-main event of the evening pits former lightweight title challenger and Frankie Edgar adversary Gray Maynard 11€“3€“1 (1) against the recently robbed Ultimate Fighter 9 winner Ross Pearson 15€“7 (1). It seems strange to call a fighter with only three losses on his record on his way out of the game, but Maynard is pretty much done as a top contender in the UFC. He won't fight for the title again. His last two fights were painful knockouts to T.J. Grant and Nate Diaz (known more for volume punching, Maynard was just Nate's fourth knockout victory in a ten year career), which has raised questions about his chin, and how much damage he sustained in wars against Frankie Edgar. Pearson, meanwhile, was absolutely robbed in a decision loss to Diego Sanchez just a few months ago, to the point that the UFC paid him his win bonus. With Maynard coming in as an injury replacement and Pearson on the better run of late, I'm giving this one to Pearson - though I don't expect to see Maynard knocked out this time. A unanimous decision to Pearson wouldn't surprise me however.