Gray Maynard Didn’t Think B.J. Penn Was a Very Good Coach on TUF

From SI.com:

“I would try to get 10 small shows first,” said the former Michigan State wrestling star. “Someone should really be ready before they go on The Ultimate Fighter. If you do well, it will really pay off, but if you don’t, people will say ‘this guy sucks’.”

Should Maynard prove the experts correct and defeat Diaz, he would likely be the next contender for lightweight champion B.J. Penn. Coincidentally, Penn was Maynard’s coach on TUF. However, Maynard was not altogether pleased with the instruction he received.

“As a coach, you have to help the guys keep their goals, and I think he was just ‘there’,” Maynard said. “He was like ‘I just want to go home.’ I don’t really think we had the best training.”

…

“After trying out for the Olympics, I went to a jiu-jitsu school in Las Vegas with a couple of guys from Hilo,” Maynard said. “Penn called me up. I didn’t know who he was, but I went there and trained with him for about three weeks. The training was much better in Hilo than TUF. “

But to get his shot at Penn, Maynard first has to get past the man who eliminated him from contention in the TUF tournament, Nate Diaz. The first time they met, the green Maynard wasn’t ready for Diaz’ submission game. We’ll find out soon if he’s improved enough to beat Diaz.

If he can clear that high hurdle, Maynard promises to be one of the tougher challengers Penn has faced at 155lbs. He’s got a wrestling game very comparable to that of a young Matt Hughes and he’s nearly as big as Hughes, one of the biggest guys in the UFC lightweight division.