Maynard: ‘I’m a Human Being’

Creighton agrees.

“I don’t know how people can be so negative,” he said. “To me, it’s from people who hide their faces. People should learn from it. It’s easy for most people to lay down and quit when they hit obstacles.”

Oblas, who befriended Maynard several years ago and has seen him train and spar, has no qualms about sending him into the cage under his watch.

“I have no concerns for Kyle in the cage,” he said. “My main concern is the public perception of him. So far, some of it has been positive, some negative.”

“Kyle’s not new to the sport,” Oblas continued. “He’s not a fly-by-night fighter. He’s proven to me there’s no reason to be concerned with his safety. There are a lot of people around him who love him and who have his best interests at heart. He’s more prepared than a lot of fighters with arms and legs. I feel more confident putting Kyle Maynard in there than I do putting some 0-0 amateur fighters in there. You see so many who don’t belong in the ring. If he gets injured, he gets injured.”

The Third Man

Cam McHargue, one of the most seasoned referees in the southeast, will officiate the bout. The 39-year-old has eight professional bouts under his belt, as well, including a 2001 defeat to EliteXC veteran Muhsin Corbbrey.

“It’s just another fight to me and all the same principles will be in play,” McHargue said via e-mail. “The main thing that people seem to be worried about with this fight is that they are under the impression Kyle will not be able to defend himself because he can’t block punches. There are fighters out there with fully developed arms and legs that find themselves in positions where they are taking some shots and the fights get stopped. A lot of times, even when fighters are blocking the shots with their arms, the fights get stopped because they fail to improve position. I think that is going to be the factor here with Kyle.”

He thinks Maynard will surprise those who aim to deny him a spot in the cage.

“The fact is Kyle can use his arms to block punches to a great degree, so that really isn’t an issue,” McHargue said. “The thing that separates Kyle from the majority is his ability to improve his position. It’s very hard to hold Kyle down in a fixed position for any amount of time without him escaping or improving. He is constantly moving.”

The fight will be contested under traditional amateur rules, which do not allow knees or kicks to the head of a grounded opponent. Since Maynard will always be considered grounded, punches to the head and all strikes to the body will be permitted.

“Do I believe Kyle is going to get hit? Absolutely, but he’s not going to get hit any more than any other fighters, and if Kyle winds up in a position where he cannot defend or is taking damage, then I will stop the fight just like I would with any other fighter,” McHargue said. “Something that many people don’t understand is that Kyle is arguably more qualified and able to step in that cage than 90 percent of the amateurs out there fighting MMA in the U.S. today.”

A Promoter Under Fire

Oblas himself has faced public ridicule for promoting the fight. The event will be carried on Internet pay-per-view at www.KyleMaynardFight.com for $14.95.

“I’ve always wanted to promote fights that mean something,” Oblas said. “I’ve always tried to put on good fights. I just want this to happen for him. Only a few people in your life change your life. He’s one of those people. Kyle and I are friends. We’ll be friends before the fight, and we’ll be friends after the fight. I don’t have a chain around his neck. I don’t have a gun to his head. It all came about because Kyle called me on the phone and told me he wanted to fight.”

Maynard -- who opened the No Excuses Athletics CrossFit Gym in his hometown back in December -- finds the criticism toward Oblas misguided.

“If there’s one thing that really upsets me about this, it’s that people attacked him,” Maynard said. “He’s been a friend of mine for years and the only one to stand behind me. He’s legitimized this. He’s doing everything he’d do in a commissioned state. The fact that people have called out David on this is pretty pathetic. I came to him.”

Maynard -- who has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live, ABC’s 20/20 and Good Morning America in the past -- does not see the bout as a publicity grab on his end, either.

“People say I’m doing this to get attention. Give me a break,” he said. “Honestly, I’d rather do this in some back alley away from all the cameras and media just to test myself.”