"It's like he's going to be on point, he's going to be ready and on top of his game. That's the Roger Huerta that I'm preparing for. I'm preparing for him like he just fought for the belt. This guy is dangerous, so if I have to pretend it's a belt on the line or whatever it is, you just have to get hyped up because anything can happen," stated UFC lightweight contender Gray Maynard as he talked about his upcoming clash with Roger Huerta at UFC Fight Night 19 on September 16. Check it out!
PC: Gray, how have you been doing man?
GM: Everything has been good man. In the gym and home; in the gym and home.
PC: I've heard from several people that you are one of the hardest workers at Xtreme Couture. How is this training camp going?
GM: This training camp is going good. I had a scope on my knee after my last fight against Jim Miller, but that only held me out for about 3 or 4 weeks and I was back in the gym pretty hard at the end of April. I've been going pretty hard for 5 months or so.
PC: So everything is okay with you health-wise?
GM: Yes sir!
PC: You've been training hard, but it's been nearly 6 months since you have fought. Are you feeling any ill effects from that?
GM: No. I got the surgery on my knee in March and I was back in the gym 2 to 3 times a day in the middle of April all the way until now. If you're training, it's a job and you gotta do it every day. That's how I see it.
PC: Roger hasn't fought in what would be nearly a year. How do you capitalize on a guy that hasn't fought in so long? Do you keep a fast pace and hope he's out of shape or be patient in hoping he shoots his load?
GM: You never know, so you can't assume he's going to be out of shape or that he's going to come out trying to impress and be overly aggressive. You just can't tell, so you gotta prepare. It's like he's going to be on point, he's going to be ready and on top of his game. That's the Roger Huerta that I'm preparing for. I'm preparing for him like he just fought for the belt. This guy is dangerous, so if I have to pretend it's a belt on the line or whatever it is, you just have to get hyped up because anything can happen.
PC: Your hands looked great against Miller in your last fight. Are you expecting a standup war against Huerta?
GM: Yeah! But you know what? He's been all over. He's had a couple where he was on top; he's had a couple where he was on bottom and standing. Just wherever it goes, I'm alright. I feel good. I train a lot so wherever it goes, I will be alright.
PC: You take your fighting career very seriously. Huerta took some time away to do a movie and he's talked about more possible roles and I believe modeling. Do you think he still takes the fight game seriously?
GM: I don't even know. That's a lot of stuff to do. I don't do anything. I just train and fight and my girl hates me because it's like, "Can we take a trip?" I'm like, "Nah, not at all. I got a lot of catching up to do!" If he doesn't take it serious, that's up to him, but my thing is I have to train a lot to feel good about myself because I got nothing else going on. I can't model or act, so I only have one career path. I don't have a lot of choices.
PC: You've been a big body puncher lately and Huerta may be one of the most explosive fighters you have fought lately. Do you think your body punching will play a role in slowing this guy down?
GM: To a point. It's only 3 rounds, so you can't really slow people down. You just kinda have to go and move a lot. If it was a 5-round fight, I can say I'm going to slow him down in the early rounds; that's different. It's only 3 rounds. If it was a championship fight, I could go to the body for a round then come upstairs and then dada dada da! People gotta understand 3 rounds is not a very long time. Two good guys going at it and people want to see KO's and this and that, but it's tough to do in 3. You go to the head a little bit and then the body and round up. Next round, I may have a chance, but I screwed it up a little bit, but alright, and then you go again and it's over.
PC: I think no fight is a better example of that then Nogueira vs. Couture at 102. I would have loved a couple more rounds. It seemed like every time it would get heated, the round ended, you know?
GM: Yeah, exactly! It takes time. It's like I almost got him there to where I could do my thing and then time is up. It's over!
PC: You are another one of the guys that has evolved since your days on The Ultimate Fighter. You have a similar fighting style, but your mentality seems to be on another level. What do you feel is the biggest difference now as opposed to when you were on the show?
GM: When I was on the show, I didn't know a lot. When I competed in college, it was just go, go, go, go. I had to change it up a little bit because now you're getting punched and choked. You have to have a gameplan and in order to have a gameplan, you have to learn more in all areas.
PC: Basically just fighting smarter.
GM: Yeah! There is a lot of ways to get caught, but it's fun. I love it.
PC: We mentioned Nog-Couture earlier. I'm sure you were hoping for a different outcome, but you gotta love the fight. What did you think of the fight and would you like to see Randy drop to light heavyweight?
GM: I think Randy could go either or. I think Nogueira came out with a lot to prove. He came out prepared. Randy might be a little smaller; he kind of hangs around at 220 and the sport is changing to where you are getting these bigger guys who are athletes. They are quick and they have the mass. Again, it's just evolving to a sport. It's kind of at the point where you gotta cut a little bit now.
PC: You cut a good bit of weight coming down, right?
GM: Oh yeah! I got that down to a gameplan too or else I would die (laughing).
PC: I hear you walk around pretty big.
GM: If I'm not in the gym, I'm hanging around 180 or 81 and if I'm heavy, I get to around 84. It's a part of it. If I was to go to 170, it would be kind of tough because of reach and height. Maybe one day I will have to, but right now, I got my hands full.
PC: You have to fight where you have an advantage.
GM: Yeah, exactly.
PC: I though for sure you would get the Penn-Florian winner. Diego Sanchez is up next. I know you've been very patient in the past. Is that still the case or do you wish you were next up?
GM: I'm patient just because there is so much to learn. If I could just get in there a couple more times and keep going, it will come. And every time helps. Training camps get a little bitÂ…it's like I gotta change up this and change up that. You just gotta improve every time. The key is to just win and it will come.
PC: What is your assessment of the Penn-Florian fight?
GM: I think Kenny tried to do a gameplan that didn't fit him. Kenny is more in and out with kicks. You gotta do you. You can't change up too much, especially if you're going for a belt. He should have kept that kick out there and moved around a lot. But that's a pretty tough call.
PC: You've trained with BJ before and he said he had a pretty easy time against you. How do you approach a fight against BJ?
GM: I was just into the sport. He had me down in Hilo and I was just out of college. I had no idea about Jiu Jitsu and all kinds of stuff. And then on the TV show, like I said, I just didn't know a lot. But hey, he's good. I was pretty green still and it's always a chance anybody can get beat at anytime. I don't care who you are. I don't care if it's Anderson or whoever, you can always get beat. There is a gameplan to beat everybody.
PC: Sometimes fighters will get a win, but they will say, "I didn't get to show this or I wanted to do that." What are you looking to accomplish in the Huerta fight?
GM: I want to show improvement in all areas. I just want to get going and have people fear my ground game, my standup and all over. I want him to be saying, "I can't handle this guy anywhere!"
PC: I wish you the best of luck. Hopefully I will meet you out there. Is there anything you want to say in closing?
GM: Yeah, definitely Percy. You're a good guy man. I appreciate all of the support; this is a great sport and let's keep it going.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]