It’s been a little more than three years since the UFC announced it had hired Mick Maynard as a matchmaker following Joe Silva’s retirement.
Maynard’s actions in the matchmaker position are positively reflected across the roster as a whole – and largely behind the scenes, as well. Five current UFC champions were either signed by Maynard or came from the Legacy FC/LFA umbrella, under which he previously held ownership stake.
Friday’s UFC on ESPN 6 lineup in particular, though, offers varying degrees of insight into Maynard’s operations.
The main event stands out above all others. Dominick Reyes (11-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) looks to become the latest success story in Maynard’s light heavyweight renaissance when he takes on Chris Weidman (14-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) in the headliner at TD Garden in Boston.
Long considered a division barren of fresh talent, the 205-pound weight class has been brought back to life by the next wave of potential title contenders, all of whom were signed by Maynard. Jon Jones holding the belt would make any weight class look weak, but Reyes can potentially put himself at the forefront of contention with a win. “The Dominator” was an unknown prior to his UFC debut just 28 months ago, but with the right fights has found himself in an ESPN main event against a former UFC champion.
If Reyes is not the one to test “Bones,” there are others who have been brought along a similar way. Fresh faces like Johnny Walker and Aleksander Rakic, who have potential breakthrough fights scheduled in the next few months, as well, are being carefully groomed. The result is that the 205-pound division arguably has more depth than any point in the past decade.
Then there’s Maycee Barber (7-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), who is the pillar representative to the next generation of female MMA fighters. Maynard took the reins from fellow matchmaker Sean Shelby in the women’s divisions some time ago, and his work has been hard to deny. Maynard’s contributions to the growth to the women’s side of the sport are legitimate, from giving Holly Holm a platform to flourish pre-UFC under the Legacy FC banner to signing strawweight champ Weili Zhang, who is the first Chinese champion in UFC history, to someone like Barber.
Barber made her UFC debut at just 20 and is on a quest to break Jones’ record for youngest champion in UFC history. Whether she will realize that dream remains to be seen, but within two UFC fights “The Future” has already become someone of massive intrigue in the sport. She gets an appropriate test at UFC on ESPN 6 in a perfectly made matchup with Gillian Robertson (7-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who has serious potential, too.
Whereas Barber seems to be on an accelerated path, Maynard’s displayed a different type of prospect care with former NFL standout Greg Hardy (5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), who meets Ben Sosoli (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in what will be his fourth UFC appearance.
Given the seriousness of his past, the controversy around Hardy as a person can’t be ignored. When it comes to his athletic prowess, though, there are few heavyweights who can match him. Hardy is still incredibly raw when it comes to MMA, and with his UFC opponents holding a combined 2-7 octagon record, it’s clear he’s being brought along more gently than most.
Hardy’s handling has drawn the ire of many fans and media members, and in many ways rightly so. Hardy vocalizing plans to knock out the division’s elite while making a healthy purse and fighting seemingly hand-picked opponents doesn’t make him any more likable, but if the UFC is steadfast on keeping him around and maximizing his potential, it’s the way someone in his position should be handled.
If Maynard, who is also a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Renzo Gracie, has shown anything during his tenure as UFC matchmaker, it’s that he possesses a thorough understanding of when to push fighters fast and when to slow-play. Israel Adesanya, who looks to be the UFC’s next big star after taking the middleweight title from Robert Whittaker at UFC 243, is the shining example of striking that balance.
Answers to whether Reyes, Barber and even Hardy follow in those footsteps will only be answered in time. However, Maynard has done his part to position fighters with great potential to have great success, and he’s consistent with that across all his divisions.
Mick Maynard's talent development efforts showcased at UFC on ESPN 6 in Boston
