Frankie Edgar was determined to prove he could beat Gray Maynard.

On Saturday night, despite all the signs pointing that he would be unable to do so, Edgar did just that, knocking out the challenger in the fourth round to retain his UFC Lightweight Championship in the main event of UFC 136.

After fighting to a 5-round draw back at UFC 125 last January, Saturday’s bout had almost an identical start. Maynard caught Edgar with a big uppercut in the middle of the first round and pummeled the champion to a near stoppage.

However, Edgar managed to stay conscious and mobile, and survived the round despite losing it 10-8 on most cards.

After a break between rounds, Edgar seemed to get his stamina back and began working his game. He used his quickness to out-box Maynard and avoid another big punch, while Maynard looked flat on his feet and simply looking for the one-punch victory.

Come the fourth round, Edgar landed a big cross that dropped Maynard. The challenger got to his feet but ate a series of punches that eventually left him face flat in the canvas.

The win solidifies Edgar as a true star in the sport and he can finally cross Maynard off his list of opponents.

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Nate Lawson of HeavyMMA.com is reporting that Frankie Edgar is set to face Gray Maynard once again. This time, the two will battle at UFC 130.

MMAFighting.com reported news of the match up earlier today.

Edgar fought Maynard for a second time at “UFC 125: Resolution” this month, keeping his belt after a five round fight that ended with a split-draw. Maynard, who holds a win over Edgar, exited the Octagon convinced he won the fight, while the champion believed he should have earned the victory as well.

UFC President Dana White originally stated that WEC champion Anthony Pettis would get the next shot at the champion, but then decided to give Maynard the next title fight after the draw.

UFC 130, which is rumored to take place sometime this upcoming May, is still far from official. However, a heavyweight bout between former champion Frank Mir and Roy Nelson is in the works, as is a light heavyweight tilt between Thiago Silva and Quinton Jackson.

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UFC 125 takes place on Saturday from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The event features five very intriguing and exciting fights, headlined by a battle for the UFC Lightweight Championship. Here are my thoughts on who will win on the main card bouts.

UFC Lightweight Championship – Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard: I look for the champion to retain his belt and avenge a prior loss to Maynard in 2008. Since that time I feel like Edgar has improved greatly as a fighter while Maynard is simply a slightly better version of himself. Maynard will get some takedowns on the champ, but I expect Edgar to bounce back up and use his boxing to tire the challenger before scoring some takedowns in the later rounds to earn a decision victory.

UFC Middleweight Bout – Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann: While this fight doesn’t deserve co-main event status, it still should be exciting. Leben is riding a wave of momentum that will not be stopped on Saturday as his punching power should carry him to a third round TKO of Stann, who will put up a game effort.

UFC Light Heavyweight Bout – Brandon Vera vs. Thiago Silva: This may be Vera’s final UFC fight as I expect Silva to pressure him and not let him set up his kicks. Silva will do a good job of closing the distance and overwhelming Vera with his power and grappling ability. I like Silva to win by unanimous decision.

UFC Welterweight Bout – Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim: Kim is a very under-rated fighter as he is kind of like the Yushin Okami of this weight class as is very strong and bigger than anyone else in the weight class. I like Kim to use that size to get Diaz to the ground and keep him from using his boxing. It probably won’t be the most exciting fight, but it will be another decision win for Kim.

UFC Lightweight Bout – Takanori Gomi vs. Clay Guida: I like Guida and the energy he brings to a fight, but his short arms tend to put him in bad spots against strikers. I think Guida will get careless early in the fight and get caught with a big punch by Guida while will lead to a TKO finish in the opening round.

Nate Lawson of HeavyMMA.com writes that Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard will square off at UFC 125. It’ll be a rematch between the two fighters.

A rematch between lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and the lone man to defeat him, Gray Maynard, is set for UFC 125 this January.

Edgar recently cemented his status as champion when he dominated BJ Penn in the main event of UFC 118 this past August. The victory was his first title defense, having earned the belt at UFC 112 against Penn with a narrow decision win. Now, Edgar has the opportunity to avenge his lone career loss, a unanimous decision defeat that came against Maynard at “UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs. Florian”.

Maynard, meanwhile, has also been on quite a streak through the upper-tier of the division. His most recent victory came against Kenny Florian at UFC 118, which pushed “The Bully’s” record to a perfect 10-0. His other victims of late include Roger Huerta and Nate Diaz.

The lightweight bout should serve as either the main event or co-main event of UFC 125, depending on whether or not another title fight will be included. Other rumored match ups for the January 1 event, which is set for the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, include Thiago Silva vs. Brandon Vera and Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann.

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Dennis Melnik of HeavyMMA.com recently sat down with UFC fighter and top contender Kenny Florida, who says he isn’t afraid to adapt.

Kenny Florian’s philosophy is simple: “If you don’t adapt in this sport, you’re going to die. You’re going to lose.” There was a time Florian thought he had all the answers. He was on a six-fight wining streak that earned him a shot at UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn.

The last time Florian lost was his first chance at glory, when Sean Sherk defeated him in a unanimous decision at UFC 64. He learned a lot from that loss. The problem was Florian thought he had learned it all. He entered the Penn fight determined to “kill the master” and that’s when complacency came to collect. ‘The Prodigy’ dismantled ‘Ken-Flo’ in four rounds of fighting, putting him at a crossroads and forcing him to completely reevaluate his entire regimen. When Florian responded with two straight dominant victories in later UFC matches, Dana White noticed. While condemning Diego Sanchez for leaving the lightweight division for a return to welterweight, the UFC president cited Florian as an example of learning from failure.

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