With a shot at Benson Henderson and UFC lightweight gold on the line, T.J. Grant made an emphatic statement by taking out Gray Maynard with a flurry of power shots at 2:07 of the opening round.
Gray Maynard came out looking crisp, connecting at will to start, but Grant held his ground and countered effectively, quickly turning the tables on his opponent. Grant connected with a right hand and a knee that backed up Maynard, then dropped him with another powerful right hand. Maynard tried desperately to recover but Grant swarmed, punishing him with a flurry of punches that finally put an end to the bout decisively.
The stunning win vaults Grant (21-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) into a date with UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson.