UFC 130 main event scratched
Training injuries to both lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Gray Maynard have scratched what was supposed to be the main event for UFC 130.
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Matt Hamill now takes on top billing, with Frank Mir vs. "Big Country" Roy Nelson becoming the co-main event for the May 28 showcase at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
"Frankie Edgar is injured and will not be fighting, and Gray Maynard is injured, too," UFC president Dana White said Monday afternoon. "Frankie hurt his back and ribs and Gray hurt his knee."
According to sources close to both camps, Edgar suffered several broken ribs in training. Maynard suffered a knee sprain that was not believed to be as serious as Edgar's injuries.
White said that both injuries took place in the past two days and neither injury was that serious. He estimated that both fighters would be out of training for six to eight weeks.
"If everything goes right, maybe we can do the fight in August or September," White said.
This was to be the third meeting between Edgar (13-1-1) and Maynard (10-0-1, one no contest), both former college wrestling stars. Maynard won the first fight via unanimous decision on April 2, 2008, long before either were championship contenders.
They met again on Jan. 1, this time with Edgar holding the title. The match went five rounds, with Maynard knocking Edgar down three times in the first round. But Edgar survived and ultimately earned a draw against the only fighter who has beaten him as a professional.
Uniquely in MMA circles, the draw decision was well received as most fans recognized how close the fight was, even though it left both Edgar and Maynard unsatisfied.
Initially, World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight champ Anthony Pettis (13-1) had been promised an immediate shot at the UFC title when WEC merged into UFC in December. But moments after Edgar-Maynard II ended, White changed his mind and ordered another rematch. Should Pettis win his next fight against cult favorite Clay Guida on June 4, he would get a shot at the winner of Edgar-Maynard III.
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