Maynard: ‘I’m a Human Being’
A Human Being
Brian Knapp Apr 24, 2009
After 23 years, Kyle Maynard has learned to tune out the
naysayers.
A congenital amputee -- the condition left him with no hands, two rounded stumps at the elbows and two short appendages with deformed feet at the knees -- Maynard will make his amateur mixed martial arts debut at an Auburn Fight Night show this Saturday at the Auburn Covered Arena in Auburn, Ala.
Maynard had designs on debuting in his native Georgia in 2007, but
the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission refused to
sanction him. Alabama has no governing body to oversee MMA
competition, which cleared the way for his entry into the cage.
“Part of me is disappointed we had to go this route,” Maynard said. “I can understand the athletic commission’s point of view. They have a lot to lose and little to gain in sanctioning me, but I’m not talking about going out there and competing against the top 135-pounders in the world. On an even playing field in amateur competition, I should be able to compete.”
“We do have an opponent,” Oblas said. “We do have a backup. The opponent will not be released until the weigh-ins. It’s someone who’s fought before. We’re trying to keep the focus on Kyle. The person who gets in there and punches him in the face is going to make his dream come true.”
Defying the Odds
Without the benefit of full arms and legs, Maynard won more than 100 wrestling matches -- 36 as a senior -- at Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Ga. His accomplishments drew national media attention, as he was featured on HBO’s “Real Sports” and won the 2004 ESPY Award for Best Athlete with a Disability.
Maynard -- who has also tested his limitations in power lifting competitions (he set a world record for the modified bench press with a lift of 360 pounds at the Arnold Fitness Classic in 2005) and organized football -- trains full-time under UFC veteran and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Paul Creighton.
A Renzo Gracie protégé who once fought B.J. Penn inside the UFC Octagon, Creighton supports Maynard’s decision to test himself inside the cage.
“Kyle has had obstacles his whole life,” said Creighton, who plans to corner Maynard on Saturday. “He’s not doing this for anyone other than himself. He’s a grown man and should be able to decide what he wants to do.”
Schooled by a variety of instructors, Maynard has also worked with Palace Fighting Championship featherweight titleholder Diego Saraiva and “The Ultimate Fighter 3” alum Rory Singer. He made a smooth transition from amateur wrestling to submission grappling and claims to have medaled in every competition he has entered. Maynard believes his credentials strengthen his case.
“I was one win away from being a high school All-American,” Maynard said. “I’ve set power lifting world records. People don’t take the time to do five minutes of research. If you look at my track record, in every competition -- whether it’s football, wrestling, power lifting or jiu-jitsu -- I’ve had success. I think I can compete and do pretty well.”
Met with a groundswell of negative public reaction when he made known his intention to enter MMA back in 2007, Maynard has steered clear of the blog sites and underground forums that were once part of his daily routine. He used to use that sentiment as motivation, but no more.
“It did motivate me back in 2007 after the commission’s denial,” Maynard said. “I see the MMA community as an extension of my family, and hearing that kind of negative sentiment was tough. I’ve had to completely remove myself from that, from the underground forums and all the blog sites. It’s not important. I want to prove I can compete for myself, not anyone else.
“It’s a tough call,” he added. “When I look at it from the standpoint of an MMA fan, me going into any kind of pugilistic sport is going to bring about the kind of feelings that fuel the fire of the media and uneducated fans.”
Still, many question whether or not Maynard should be deemed physically fit for battle. Some claim the prospect of his being injured in MMA competition might tarnish the sport, which remains in the early stages of its development.
“Why should I be allowed to fight? Because I’m a human being, and I have inalienable rights, same as anyone else,” Maynard said. “I think it’s fear-mongering for people to say they think I’m going to send the sport back to the dark ages.”
A congenital amputee -- the condition left him with no hands, two rounded stumps at the elbows and two short appendages with deformed feet at the knees -- Maynard will make his amateur mixed martial arts debut at an Auburn Fight Night show this Saturday at the Auburn Covered Arena in Auburn, Ala.
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“Part of me is disappointed we had to go this route,” Maynard said. “I can understand the athletic commission’s point of view. They have a lot to lose and little to gain in sanctioning me, but I’m not talking about going out there and competing against the top 135-pounders in the world. On an even playing field in amateur competition, I should be able to compete.”
David Oblas, who also runs the Wild Bill’s Fight Night promotion in
Georgia, put together the Auburn Fight Night event. Maynard’s
opponent will not be revealed until the weigh-in on Friday in an
attempt to short circuit any negative reaction or pressure he might
encounter.
“We do have an opponent,” Oblas said. “We do have a backup. The opponent will not be released until the weigh-ins. It’s someone who’s fought before. We’re trying to keep the focus on Kyle. The person who gets in there and punches him in the face is going to make his dream come true.”
Defying the Odds
Without the benefit of full arms and legs, Maynard won more than 100 wrestling matches -- 36 as a senior -- at Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Ga. His accomplishments drew national media attention, as he was featured on HBO’s “Real Sports” and won the 2004 ESPY Award for Best Athlete with a Disability.
Maynard -- who has also tested his limitations in power lifting competitions (he set a world record for the modified bench press with a lift of 360 pounds at the Arnold Fitness Classic in 2005) and organized football -- trains full-time under UFC veteran and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Paul Creighton.
A Renzo Gracie protégé who once fought B.J. Penn inside the UFC Octagon, Creighton supports Maynard’s decision to test himself inside the cage.
“Kyle has had obstacles his whole life,” said Creighton, who plans to corner Maynard on Saturday. “He’s not doing this for anyone other than himself. He’s a grown man and should be able to decide what he wants to do.”
Schooled by a variety of instructors, Maynard has also worked with Palace Fighting Championship featherweight titleholder Diego Saraiva and “The Ultimate Fighter 3” alum Rory Singer. He made a smooth transition from amateur wrestling to submission grappling and claims to have medaled in every competition he has entered. Maynard believes his credentials strengthen his case.
“I was one win away from being a high school All-American,” Maynard said. “I’ve set power lifting world records. People don’t take the time to do five minutes of research. If you look at my track record, in every competition -- whether it’s football, wrestling, power lifting or jiu-jitsu -- I’ve had success. I think I can compete and do pretty well.”
Met with a groundswell of negative public reaction when he made known his intention to enter MMA back in 2007, Maynard has steered clear of the blog sites and underground forums that were once part of his daily routine. He used to use that sentiment as motivation, but no more.
“It did motivate me back in 2007 after the commission’s denial,” Maynard said. “I see the MMA community as an extension of my family, and hearing that kind of negative sentiment was tough. I’ve had to completely remove myself from that, from the underground forums and all the blog sites. It’s not important. I want to prove I can compete for myself, not anyone else.
“It’s a tough call,” he added. “When I look at it from the standpoint of an MMA fan, me going into any kind of pugilistic sport is going to bring about the kind of feelings that fuel the fire of the media and uneducated fans.”
Still, many question whether or not Maynard should be deemed physically fit for battle. Some claim the prospect of his being injured in MMA competition might tarnish the sport, which remains in the early stages of its development.
“Why should I be allowed to fight? Because I’m a human being, and I have inalienable rights, same as anyone else,” Maynard said. “I think it’s fear-mongering for people to say they think I’m going to send the sport back to the dark ages.”
