Maynard MMA Debut Shrouded In Controversy

((HT: Montgomery Advertiser/Josh Moon))

Those of us at OSG HQ have seen Kyle Maynard wrestle at Collins Hill High School in suburban Atlanta. We've seen Maynard grow in to a role model on a bunch of different levels. Now, we're getting to see an adult Kyle Maynard ((pictured, thanks Montgomery Advertiser)) try to punch through the glass ceiling of stereotypes.

But not without having to prove himself all over again to a bunch of closed-minded people that don't believe in freedom of choice.

Maynard makes his MMA ((yep, you read correctly "MMA")) debut Saturday night in Montgomery, Alabama- if he's allowed to make his debut.

Josh Moon picks up the details from there:

"The fight is shrouded in controversy, with critics claiming Maynard’s entry demonstrates a serious need for an athletics regulatory body in Alabama and that it also exposes the dark side of MMA, where greedy promoters cut corners and care little about potentially serious injuries to fighters.

"This could do a lot of damage to the sport and hurt a lot of people," said J.J. Cornell, whose Casca-Grossa apparel company has sponsored numerous fighters, including Maynard as a grappler and MMA light heavyweight champ Forrest Griffin. "I hate it for Kyle, because I respect the hell out of him and what he’s accomplished, but this (fight) looks like a scheme to sell tickets. There are a lot of people who are (ticked off) about this going down."

The controversy surrounding the fight has reached such a level that the event’s organizer, Maynard’s promoter David Oblas, is refusing to reveal the name of Maynard’s opponent out of fear that the fighter will be pressured into backing out. All Oblas would reveal is that the opponent is from Wisconsin and has competed in two prior MMA fights.

The debate over Maynard largely centers around one issue: whether he is a legitimate contender or the too-trusting victim of a rogue promoter.

Many in the MMA community – from fans to fighters to officials in the sport – believe Maynard’s disability, which has left him with arms that end at the elbow and legs that end well above the knee, limit his ability to protect his head from direct blows. MMA fighters kick and punch – both while standing and when on the ground – and use a variety of martial arts and grappling techniques to incapacitate an opponent or force submission.

Critics of the fight see no way that Maynard doesn’t end up severely beaten and possibly seriously injured, which would result in tons of negative publicity for a sport that has taken great strides in recent years to shed its barbaric image.

However, Maynard, who is an accomplished wrestler, believes he has earned a shot to prove himself and said he hasn’t been pressured into the fight by Oblas or anyone else.

"There have been a ton of sinister things said about me and about this fight, and I don’t understand that," Maynard said. "I don’t know why I wouldn’t be given a shot to show what I can do. I’ve trained with some of the best in the sport for this. I can protect myself – it’s hard to explain how, but if people come and watch, they’ll see. This has gotten blown way up and I really don’t think there would be so much talk if people just came and watched me fight."

Oblas has seen him fight. He has watched Maynard train for the past two years. He said he has spoken with several legitimate fighters who have sparred with Maynard and they all say Maynard can hold his own.

"Not only do I believe Kyle won’t be injured, I believe he’ll win," Oblas said. "This guy is amazing. I know it’s tough for people to understand but just watch him. I can sleep just fine at night, because I know I’m doing right by Kyle."

Josh's profile of the event is a must-read...
Keep reading after you're done here with us...

We understand the concerns of having Maynard in the ring- the inability to protect himself in clinches, the inability to strike, tap out, or dealing with the other elements of an MMA bout.

But it should be up to Kyle as to how he wants to show what he can do in athletics.
Here's some of Kyle's past appearance on CNN's "Larry King Live"