While there are fighters who have been known to string together a symphony of violence there are also those who care less about the poetic nature of the battle and simply get down to the thick of destruction. A blue-collared win at all costs attitude matched with a refusal to quit, keeps the fires of competition raging. Most fighters tend to take their bumps and bruises during the early stages of their career and while scars are lessons learned, from time to time there will come a warrior who simply knows how to get things done…good, bad or ugly. For lightweight contender Gray Maynard (9-0) it’s all about the scrap and that is the only way it can be. Just as the glimmer and flash of the Vegas strip catches the eye, it’s the heat and grit of the desert that overwhelms and despite the challenges presented from past opponents, Maynard’s heart and work ethic have refused to accept anything but victory. Gray Maynard’s journey has led him to the doorstep of title contention and as he prepares to head into the hostile territory of Boston at UFC 118, the only thing on his mind is Kenny Florian. A victory over Florian will cement a titled shot for the “The Bully” and with training camp winding down I caught up with Gray to talk about his upcoming bout at UFC 118. In this B.J. Penn Exclusive, Maynard sounds off on his bout with Kenny Florian, a misunderstanding about his relationship with B.J. Penn and the opportunities that wait for him just around the corner. When I asked Gray how his camp had gone thus far he replied…

“Camp is going great. I’ve known that I was going up against Florian since April so I’ve had a lot of time to ease into camp and train. I’ve had a good amount of time so I feel great going in.”

Since being submitted by B.J. Penn at UFC 101, Florian has left long time trainer Mark DellaGrotte and joined boxing coach Peter Welch and Firas Zahabi at Tri Star Gym in Montreal. In doing so Florian has switched his stance from the Muay Thai style he has used throughout his career to that of a traditional boxing counter striker. When Maynard was asked how he has prepared for the change he responded…

“I’ve been working with a boxing coach by the name of Gil Martinez. He has a gym here and he’s worked with Ricky Hatton, Barrera and he’s got a lot of pros around. I’ve been with Gil for three years now and if he wants to box that’ll be fine. It works out perfect for me.”

With Florian being a native of the Boston area, the bout will take place behind enemy lines for Maynard. Gray was asked if he felt added pressure with the fight taking place in Boston and if “The Bully” was going to beat up Kenny Florian in his own back yard and he replied…

“There’s no added pressure but that’s what I’m going to do. That’s all I can do and there’s no other choice. I think he’s the last step to a title shot. It’s a fight and I’m prepared. I have Florian and then I’ll deal with whatever comes next.”

During Florian’s career he has shown difficulty at times when facing a fighter with a strong wrestling background. When asked if he had seen any weaknesses in those performances that he could capitalize on Maynard stated…

“In my opinion he has shown that when things are going good, he feels good and keeps moving. Against Penn and Sherk, when he realized he was in a tough scrap, he didn’t really know how to deal with it and changed his plans. I’m not going out there just to go…I’m planning on a scrap and I hope he is too. I’m coming out to go three rounds hard and there is zero quit in me. When the going gets tough….well he better plan on getting going because it’s going to be tough. It’s going to be a scrap and I’ve had them all…close ones, tough ones and I guarantee that I’m going three rounds hard and I hope he’s planning on that because if not then he’s making a mistake.”

In an interview earlier this year Gray Maynard was asked about his experience as a cast member on “The Ultimate Fighter” during the season in which B.J. Penn was the coach. In the interview Maynard had commented on the training and the MMA world took the comment and ran with it in attempts to ignite a rivalry. In the middle of the interview Maynard wanted to take a moment to clear up and address the entire situation as he said…

“A lot of people got s*** mixed up by me saying B.J. was a bad coach on the show when I really said the training sucked on the show cause he had his hands tied with all of the rules and the training was way better when I went to Hilo. I still consider BJ a friend and appreciate the help he gave me in the beginning of my career.”

The top four lightweights will all be fighting on the same card in Boston. Of the four, Maynard is the only one who currently holds a win over Frankie Edgar and when he was asked if he felt that held any advantages or how he expected the picture to look in the aftermath of UFC 118 he stated…

“I’m not even trying to think about that because Florian is next and it’s all that I can think about.”

The current landscape of mixed martial arts has witnessed an increasing trend of fighters who use trash talking to promote their upcoming fights. While some fighters may have legitimate grudges like Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rashad Evans but when a fighter like James Toney presses those same buttons it comes off in rather cheap fashion. When Maynard was asked if he felt trash talking had a place in MMA he answered…

“It has its place. James Toney is just doing it because he has nothing to lose. It’s kind of hard for the smaller guys because it’s always going to be a good fight and you run the risk of eating your words so it’s better to just get prepared and get in there and fight.”

In less than two weeks Gray Maynard will square off with Kenny Florian to determine the next contender for the lightweight title in the UFC. As the interview came to a close, Maynard took one final moment to address his fans, sponsors and the fan base of the sport in general as he said..

“I appreciate everything from everyone. Whether you are for me or against me, we have a great sport and let’s keep it going. I appreciate the help from Everlast, Xcap.tv, Xtremecouture.tv, MMA Elite and tune in for UFC 118 on August 28th because it’s gonna be fun.”