In round 1, things were looking remarkably similar to the 2nd fight at UFC 125. Once again, Maynard landed heavy shots to rock the champion. It looked like it could be over, but just as in January, Edgar survived. Maynard, wary of gassing out as he did in the last fight, pulled back to conserve his energy. That allowed Edgar to slowly creep back into the fight. By the 4th round it seemed we were heading for another close decision when Edgar suddenly changed the fight completely, landing a series of punches that put Maynard down and out. An incredibly dramatic ending to this classic series of fights.
What was the high spot of this fight?
That ending was everything you want out of a champion. Faced with serious adversity AGAIN, Edgar came back. But this time, he wasn't content with the draw - he wanted the win. And he got it. Amazing stuff.
Where do these guys go from here?
Edgar finally will move on to a new challenger after four straight fights of either Maynard or B.J. Penn. Who will that challenger be? There's two real options - either Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez, or the winner of Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson.
Maynard is in a tough spot. He has a good shot at defeating anyone he faces at Lightweight, but he's also out of the title scene until he either gets a big win streak going, or Edgar loses. Essentially, he's the Jon Fitch of Lightweight. The UFC will have to decide now if they want him spoiling potential challengers, or just biding his time.
Watch it now, later, or never?
Now. Incredible action and drama to close out a fantastic series.
More BE coverage of UFC 136 in the full entry.
UFC 136 Results: Post-Hangover Thoughts and Reactions - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 136 Results: Frankie Edgar Embodies Rocky's Message in Win Over Gray Maynard - Leland Roling
UFC 136 Results: Aldo vs. Florian, Phan vs. Garcia FightMetric Reports - Mike Fagan
UFC 136 Results: Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva II Will Produce Massive Interest Despite Skepticism - Leland Roling
UFC 136 Results: Dana White Says Frankie Edgar Is Top 2 Pound-for-Pound, Wants Him to Face Jose Aldo - Anton Tabuena
UFC 136 Results: Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard Post-Fight Recap and Analysis - Mike Fagan
UFC 136 Results: Jose Aldo vs. Kenny Florian Fight Video Highlights
UFC 136 Results: Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard 3 Fight Video Highlights
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 88: UFC 136 Results Review
UFC 136 Results: Frankie Edgar Stops Gray Maynard In Four - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III - Live Results and Play-by-Play for PPV Fights - Brent Brrokhouse
UFC 136 Results: Jose Aldo Decisions Kenny Florian - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 136 Results: Chael Sonnen Challenges Anderson Silva After Dominating Brian Stann - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 136 Results: Nam Phan Wins Decision Over Leonard Garcia - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 136 Results: Joe Lauzon Makes Quick Work of Melvin Guillard - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III - Live Results and Play-by-Play For Spike TV Fights - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 136 Results: Demian Maia Decisions Jorge Santiago - Leland Roling
UFC 136 Results: Anthony Pettis Narrowly Edges Jeremy Stephens - Leland Roling
UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III - Live Results and Play-by-Play for Facebook Fights - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 136 Results: Stipe Miocic Makes Successful Debut, Edges Joey Beltran - Leland Roling
UFC 136 Results: Darren Elkins Out Grapples Tiequan Zhang, Wins Decision - Leland Roling
UFC 136 Results: Aaron Simpson Dominates Eric Schafer - Leland Roling
UFC 136 Results: Mike Massenzio Batters Steve Cantwell, Takes Unanimous Decision - Leland Roling
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