UFC 130 is beginning to look like one of the best cards of 2011.
After yesterday's announcement of Stefan Struve vs. Travis Browne and the previously announced Thiago Alves vs. Ricky Story bout, many wondered what would round out the card.
The answer came today.
The rematch that everyone has wanted, Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard, is being rumored for the card, according to ESPN.com. The fight would conclude the trilogy for lightweight standouts. After fighting to a draw at UFC 125, Dana White originally announced that Anthony Pettis would be getting the next shot at the lightweight belt.
Immediate backlash against the decision made the boss rethink his plans. He quickly announced that Edgar and Maynard would get their much-deserved rematch.
Frankie Edgar (13-1-1) is looking to finally beat Gray Maynard. After losing in their first bout and fighting to a draw in the second, the lightweight champion will hope to defend his title at UFC 130 on May 28th. He is coming off what is easily his best year in the sport, when he defeated B.J. Penn twice to become the lightweight champion of the UFC.
Maynard (10-0-1 1 NC) has arguably defeated Edgar twice, but has little to show for it. The Xtreme Couture prodigy hopes to finally capture the title after going undefeated in his first 12 bouts.
He has often been labeled as boring because of his consistent use of his wrestling abilities, but his fight with Edgar at UFC 125 changed those thoughts. The fight was one of the most interesting title fights in UFC history.
A crucial heavyweight battle is also on tilt for the May fight card, when Frank Mir and Roy Nelson square off. Fans have been calling for this battle for awhile now, ever since the two squared off in a Jiu Jitsu match a couple of years ago.
Frank Mir (14-5) hopes to forget his last performance, an absolutely horrendous fight against Mirko Cro Cop that he eventually won by knockout. Mir may be very close to a title shot following Cain Velasquez injury that could sideline him up to a year.
It seems as if Nelson (15-5) has resolved his past contract issues with Roy Jones Jr. mixed martial arts promotion. The rotund heavyweight was supposed to be out until the issue was solved. Nelson hopes to rebound after he got demolished for three rounds against Junior Dos Santos back at UFC 117.
The loss cost him a title shot.
Continue to look here for future fight announcements for upcoming UFC cards.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/566241-edgarmaynard-iii-and-mirnelson-planned-for-ufc-130
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