However, staying true to form, Maynard has continued to remain humble and diplomatic about the situation, despite it all. 

“Like I said before, I think it was a timing thing,” Maynard told BumpyKnuckle.com.  “He had been done with his fight since early December and was ready to start a new training camp. I needed to wait to see what they said about my knee; turned out I needed surgery.”

Watching Penn and Edgar throw down, like the rest of the fight fans, Maynard was impressed by Edgar’s movement and ability to keep Penn off balance.

“I think BJ had a hard time finding his range, didn’t cut off the ring, and couldn’t counter punch,” Maynard stated.  “Edgar looked the same, a little more crisp than usual, and he was definitely pumped to be there and took advantage of the opportunity.”

Maynard’s opportunity will come on August 28 when he faces perennial contender Kenny Florian in the UFC’s first trip to Boston. 

Though not confirmed by UFC officials, the winner will likely put himself next in line to challenge for the belt.  But before thinking that far, Maynard says his focus is solely on his training camp and preparing for Florian.

“This is my fifth southpaw in a row, so I’m getting used to these training camps. We are going to make a couple adjustments that are geared towards Kenny’s style and just make sure I’m at 110 percent when I step into the cage with him.”

Florian announced the bout yesterday on ESPN’s MMA Live program, which he co-hosts.

Both fighters have been in the discussion for a shot at the lightweight title since Frankie Edgar’s defeat of BJ Penn at UFC 112.

Florian, a Massachusetts-native,  is coming off an impressive victory over Japanese star Takanori Gomi at UFC Fight Night 21.  He was on a six-fight win streak before losing to Penn at UFC 101.

Maynard remains unbeated in his MMA career, including a unanimous decision victory over current champion Frankie Edgar in April of 2008. 

A lightweight championship re-match between Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn is rumored to headline the event.

 The winner of Florian vs. Maynard will likely then go on to face either Edgar or Penn at a later date. 

The UFC’s Boston event will take place at the TD Garden Arena at UFC 118.

The UFC announced the news today, pitting the lightweight contenders against each other in a rematch of their fight on The Ultimate Fighter season five.

“The lightweight division is one of the most talent-rich in the UFC, and this card is a prime example of that,” said UFC President Dana White. “Maynard and Diaz are two top contenders with a history between them, and this is one of those fights that could be career-changing for the winner.”

Diaz, who went on to win TUF, defeated Maynard in the semifinals of season five, winning by guillotine choke in the second round.  More recently, Diaz defeated Melvin Guillard by submission in September, after consecutive losses at the hands of Clay Guida and Joe Stevenson. 

Maynard has yet to face defeat in his career at 9-0 (with 1 no-contest).  He defeated Roger Huerta at UFC Fight Night in September, his sixth consecutive victory in the Octagon.

Also scheduled for the event is another lightweight bout between TUF 8 winner Efrain Escudero and Oregon-native Evan Dunham.  Both Escudero (13-0) and Dunham (9-0) are undefeated in their mixed martial arts careers and 2-0 in the UFC.

Escudero recently defeated Cole Miller at UFC 103, winning by TKO in the first round.  Dunham last competed at UFC 102, coming away with a split decision victory over Marcus Aurelio.

UFC Fight Night will take place at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia on January 11, 2010.  Tickets for the event go on sale Saturday, November 21 at 10am EST.  Tickets are available at the Patriot Center box office and all Ticketmaster outlets

Taking some time out from his training at Xtreme Couture, Maynard lets us know what to expect on September 16th, why his season of TUF has done so well, and why there’s no excuse for not making weight.

BumpyKnuckle.com: You’re scheduled to fight Roger Huerta on September 16th.  His style is a little different than some of the other guys you fought.  What are your thoughts on the fight?

Gray Maynard:  I got the call a while ago to fight Roger and I was actually planning on a couple other guys.  But of course I said I’d fight him.  Whenever. 

He’s got a good name.  He throws some crazy kicks, but the main thing that comes out with him is that he’s got heart.  He’s just going to keep coming.  But I think he hasn’t really improved throughout his career.  He might’ve changed, but I don’t see that.  The bottom line is that I’ve got to be prepared.

BumpyKnuckle.com:  You’ve gone to a decision on your last few fights.  Does avoiding a decision, or going for “knockout of the night” play in your mind?

Gray:  I told a couple people, I’m not going in thinking fight of the year.  I’m training to kick this dude’s ass.  If it happens, I’m prepared.  If it’s there, great.  If not, you got to keep to the gameplan.  I see knockouts and the guys’ eyes are closed.  It just happens.  My plan is always just to scrap.  Bottom line is, who’s got the win and who’s got the loss. 

Half the fans cheer for the blood regardless of technique.  The other half appreciates the technique and the gameplan.  I think people are starting to look at MMA as more of a sport and appreciating the takedowns, the sprawling and jiu-jitsu.  If you go out there just brawling, it’s a toss up.  And I’m not leaving anything to a gamble. 

Honestly I wish there were more rounds.  It’s hard to pack it all into three rounds.  Especially at 155lbs, you’re not going to see a lot of knockouts in three rounds.  There’s just a bunch of tough guys. 

BumpyKnuckle.com:  Assuming you beat Huerta, what’s next for you?  Do you think a title shot is in order?

Gray:  Well Diego [Sanchez] is up next.  Diego is a smart move from a business standpoint.  They’re trying to get guys who have a name.  I’ve got to get myself out there more. 

BumpyKnuckle.com:  What are your thoughts after watching the BJ Penn vs. Kenny Florian title fight?

Gray:  BJ looked really good.  Kenny had a lot of time off and I think it was a bad style matchup for him.  He tried the GSP plan.  I wish he would have thrown more kicks.  If you’re going into a championship, you can switch a few things but still stick to what you’re good at.

BJ has heavy hands so you have to stick-and-move.  I think Kenny got hit a few times and realized how hard BJ hit and changed to a gameplan of trying to take him down.  I would’ve loved to see more kicks and more hit-and-move.

BumpyKnuckle.com:  Your season of the Ultimate Fighter has produced a bunch of successful fighters in the UFC (Nate Diaz, Cole Miller, Matt Wiman, Joe Lauzon).  Some of the other seasons haven’t had nearly as much talent.  Why do you think that is?

Gray:  That was the first season that they brought in the lightweights and they were really trying to have a good year.  The season before was “The Comeback” and the ratings were down so they brought in a lot of guys who had character, but were still good.  Guys that could back it up.  It just kind of happened.  I think Season 1 and Season 5 have had the most guys do well. 

It was fun.  I was glad when it was over but it helped me get in the UFC.

BumpyKnuckle.com:  Speaking of your time on TUF, what do you think Gabe Ruediger is eating right now?

Gray:  (laughs) I couldn’t tell you.  He’s off and on.  I heard he got up to 210lbs and then was going back down.  He was a cool guy at a point.  But he would turn into a different person when the cameras were on.  It made for good TV, the producers loved it, but I wasn’t about to do that type of stuff.

BumpyKnuckle.com:  Is there any excuse for not making weight?

Gray:  There’s never an excuse.  I’ve seen twelve year olds cut weight and be more of a man than him [Ruediger].  I’ve been cutting weight since I was eight years old.  It’s always tough, but you’ve got to do it.  It’s all up to you.  You’ve got to put it in your mind that it’s something that has to be done.   

BumpyKnuckle.com:  What sports other than MMA do you enjoy?

Gray:  I like to watch boxing and wrestling.  I love boxing.  And also wakeboarding, I do that a lot.