Gray Maynard will not get an immediate rematch against UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar despite fighting him to a draw at UFC 125 Saturday night in Las Vegas. Instead, WEC lightweight champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis will make his UFC debut against Edgar for the title.
The news was confirmed at the UFC 125 post-fight press conference and said to have come from UFC President Dana White who was uncharacteristically absent.
Maynard was very disappointed, not only with the title fight decision, but in hearing he would not get an immediate rematch. Edgar said he would actually prefer the rematch with Maynard, now having fought him twice, losing the first and now fighting to a draw at UFC 125.
Both fighters thought they deserved to win the bout.
Pettis is coming off an amazing performance at WEC 53 in December where he took the WEC lightweight title from Ben Henderson in the final WEC event before the company merged with the UFC. His “Showtime” cage-assisted kick is still being talked about as one of the most impressive moves ever seen in mixed martial arts competition.
He had originally been promised a title shot against the winner of the UFC 125 Edgar vs. Maynard title fight.