UFC 90 Breakdown: The Main Card

Gray Maynard vs. Rich Clementi

Maynard Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 5’8/155 lbs.
Age: 29
Hometown: Phoenix
Fighting out of: Las Vegas
Record: 5-0 (1 NC)

The stakes: Regarded as one of several blue-chip prospects to emerge from the fifth season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Maynard has exceeded expectations from the outset and is coming off an impressive deconstruction of fellow lightweight phenom Frankie Edgar. The flipside of all that acclaim of course is the ever-present potential for defeat in a loaded division where everyone is looking to steal your thunder.

The breakdown: As physically dominant a wrestler as you’ll find, Maynard’s prodigious physical talents belie his still-developing overall skills. Being rough around the edges in the UFC can get you in more trouble than wearing Yankee gear in Beantown, and Maynard needs to keep himself in check against a wily veteran like Clementi. Plenty of ground-and-pound will get the job done; foolish attempts to show off raw submission and striking skills will turn the job into a flat-out chore.

Clementi Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 5’9/155 lbs.
Age: 32
Hometown: Edison, N.J.
Fighting out of: Slidell, La.
Record: 32-12-1

The stakes: A former UFC exile, Clementi’s return to the Octagon as a lightweight has been a revelation. He has notched a flawless 3-0 mark and shown the kind of versatile style that pays dividends in a division that looks like Superman’s rogues’ gallery. Despite his success thus far, Clementi is still in search of a high-profile win and Maynard presents Clementi’s best chance yet to announce his presence to the masses.

The breakdown: There’s no shame in Clementi acknowledging he can’t out-wrestle Maynard, but he can outwit his far less experienced quarry as “The Bully” has often shown all the discipline of Nelson Muntz and foolishly put himself in some tight spots. Goading Maynard into exchanges on the feet and frustrating him on the ground will be the key for Clementi, who simply cannot allow Maynard to coast his way to a top-control special.


* * *

The bottom line: This is an interesting bit of matchmaking. Maynard has every physical tool you could ask for while Clementi has more fight savvy inside him than an entire gym. As much as you can count on Clementi being a headache for Maynard, you can count on Maynard showing the exponential fight-to-fight growth that has defined his UFC run. Watch for more of the bulldozing style that Maynard used to such great effect against Edgar, as he continues to outgrow the limitations of his “Ultimate Fighter” tag.