Saturday MMA Blog

Maynard defeated in MMA debut

By Brian Knapp (bknapp@sherdog.com)

Kyle Maynard dropped a unanimous decision to Bryan Fry in his mixed martial arts debut at Auburn Fight Night on Saturday at the Auburn Covered Arena.

Maynard, 23, a congenital amputee, and Fry never went to the mat in a bantamweight bout that was scored 30-27 across the judges’ cards. Fry earned his first victory in three amateur fights.

Check back for a full report shortly.

Phil Davis is legit

By Mike Fridley (mike@sherdog.com)

Former Big Ten standout wrestler Phil Davis is now 3-0 after his destruction of Terry Cohens (4-3) at UWC “Capital Punishment.”

A four-time All-American at Penn State University, Davis punished his opponent from a variety of positions before putting him away with punches from the mount at 4:29 of the opening period.

Davis provided one of the best interviews the Sherdog Radio Network has ever aired some months ago when he spoke with Jordan Breen, but he kept it short and sweet Saturday night in Fairfax, Va.

“I did what I could,” said Davis.

The 24-year-old prospect could make waves in the sport at 205, but I think his frame is best suited for the middleweight division. I believe it’s only a matter of time before we see this kid handing out beatdowns in the Octagon.

Great expectations: A final note on Silva

By Loretta Hunt (lhunt@sherdog.com)

Marcelo Alonso/Sherdog.com

Has criticism of Anderson
Silva been justified?

After a week of jabs and potshots far worse than anything he absorbed in the Octagon last Saturday in Montreal, was anyone else sad to see Anderson Silva have to defend his much maligned performance at UFC 97 on HDNet’s “Inside MMA?”

Somber and a bit uneasy, Silva and his manager Ed Soares did their best to navigate the mine field of questions that hosts Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten tactfully lobbed their way.

Others weren’t as kind this week. Greasing allegations? Translation inconsistencies between fighter and manager? The weight of the world certainly fell on Silva’s shoulders, probably so much that he almost forgot that he won the fight -- convincingly at that.

I believe anyone -- especially the fans that shelled out hundreds of dollars at the Bell Centre and 50 dollars a pop at home -- has a right to voice their displeasure and it’s the media’s obligation to report and explore that.

But do we have the right to tell a fighter how to run his business in his own office?

It’s a shame that one of the sport’s leaders, and a motivator to many of his peers, is made to feel unworthy and unwanted by the sport he’s helped propel forward over the last couple of years.

Though I told Silva’s manager Soares that this wasn’t my favorite performance from Silva by far, I never questioned Silva’s sincerity or work ethic. He followed his game plan with earnest and broke a couple of UFC records in the process. I’m interested to see how he digests this experience, and what it means for his next (and last) four fights in the Octagon.

Expectations are a funny thing. Set them too high and you’re guaranteed to be disappointed.

Maynard opponent revealed

By Brian Knapp (bknapp@sherdog.com)

Photo Courtesy: David Oblas

Bryan Fry vs. Kyle Maynard.

His name is Bryan Fry.

Controversy and debate notwithstanding, all indicators point to congenital amputee Kyle Maynard making his mixed martial arts debut in a bantamweight bout at Auburn Fight Night on Saturday at the Auburn Covered Arena in Auburn, Ala.

Now, the MMA world knows who will stand across the cage from him.

Maynard and his opponent, Fry, made weight at the official weigh-in on Friday and will meet in the main event of the nine-fight card. Fighting out of Baraboo, Wis. -- the former home of the Ringling Brothers Circus -- Fry owns a 0-2 amateur record.

“I’m not really familiar with him at all,” Maynard said. “I don’t really know his style. I think that’s, in a way, a positive thing. There will be less overanalyzing on my part.”

One the eve of his first appearance in the cage, Maynard’s participation in a gladiatorial sport has stirred debate on both sides. Denied a license by the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission in 2007, he instead set his sights on Alabama, which has no governing body to oversee and regulate MMA competition.

Because of his disability -- he was born with no hands, two rounded stumps at the elbows and two short appendages with deformed feet at the knees -- many do not believe the 23-year-old should be allowed to compete and think his being injured in the fight could leave a permanent stain on the sport.

Maynard opponent revealed

Useful weekend links

By Mike Fridley (mike@sherdog.com)

London Entertainment/Splash News

After giving away his first-
round pick to Detroit, Jerry
Jones is likely to frequent
Sherdog.com's Saturday blog.
WR Roy Williams? Why, Jerry?

: Get your sporting weekend off to an excellent start with a few useful MMA links. Sherdog.com has you covered throughout the day with coverage from Kyle Maynard’s cage debut and perhaps a zinger or two from the NFL draft. Also, don’t miss tonight’s free UWC “Capital Punishment” stream, which starts at 6:00 p.m. ET.

: Former Sherdog.com editor-in-chief Josh Gross chimes in on Kyle Maynard’s MMA debut.

: Tatame states that Antonio Rogerio Nogueira -- the brother of former UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira -- will confront Dion Staring on May 9 in Fortaleza, Brazil. Translation courtesy of BloodyElbow.com.

: MMAJunkie reports that Takeya Mizugaki is likely to take on Jeff Curran at WEC 42. Mizugaki really impressed me against Miguel Torres. I think he takes the lopsided decision in August.

: Baltimore Sun writer Mark Chalifoux wonders if Anderson Silva’s performance at UFC 97 makes him any less terrifying.

: Veteran slugger Norifumi Yamamoto shows off some quality new ink on his blog.

Check the blog all day for more entries.

Friday Blog: Couture’s Last Run and World-class MMA

Thursday Blog: Rankings-related hate and Dissenting Opinions

Midweek Blog: Maynard in MMA and More Headliners

Monday Blog: Silva's Earful and Liddell's Bright Spot