LAS VEGAS -- Looking back, Gray Maynard can't help but view his most recent fight -- a decision loss to Ryan Hall in December -- as anything more than a colossal waste of time.
And that's a tough pill to swallow for the 37-year-old, who acknowledges that time, in general, is no longer on his side.
In 2016, Maynard (12-6-1) attempted to rejuvenate his career by dropping to featherweight. The longtime lightweight, who admits he only has "a couple years" left, wants to make one final, legitimate try at a UFC championship. Going into last year, he was willing to earn his stripes in a new division, build a win streak and hopefully challenge a ranked opponent in 2017.
That strategy meant Maynard didn't really care who the UFC threw at him last year. He just wanted to be active -- and if an unranked featherweight happened to beat him up, then maybe he'd have to accept the reality that a 145-pound title run isn't in the cards at this point. But he wanted to find out for sure.
So, when the UFC offered Maynard a fight against Hall, he accepted immediately, not knowing a thing about him. Had he known Hall has one of the most unorthodox, funky styles in the entire sport, Maynard says he probably would have asked for someone else. Once he'd agreed to the fight, however, he was sort of stuck with it.
"I checked out the tape of him and immediately said, 'Oh my God, this looks like the most annoying fight ever,'" Maynard said. "He's what we call a booger. You never look good when you have a booger. Even if you beat him, it's not gonna be a good look.
"I texted my coach and was like, 'Man, I think this dude is just gonna drop to the floor and roll for my ankles the whole time. It's gonna be boring.' But then pride creeps in and I don't like turning down opponents. I got my mind right and tried to put in a good camp."
The camp itself, Maynard said, was frustrating because it was spent working on details that are very specific to Hall -- which Maynard may never use again. Hall is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is particularly known for attacking his opponent's legs.
Interpretation of the fight itself is in the eye of the beholder. Hall scored points on the feet with occasional kicks and bewildered Maynard by dropping to the canvas whenever he closed distance. Depending on what side of the fence you're on, it was either a masterful game plan by Hall or a weird exhibition that, in some ways, didn't prove much.
Maynard, of course, believes the latter. Officially, a loss was added to his record, but he doesn't necessarily feel like he lost. And it has not derailed his optimism regarding a title run.
"It's just a bummer to lose like that because I don't even feel he's good at MMA," Maynard said. "If he would have beat me up or caught me in a submission, then it's more along the lines of, 'Alright man, you're getting beat up by guys who aren't even ranked. You're gonna have to adjust and be a gatekeeper, focus on more fun fights, whatever it is.'
"But with the way it went, no questions were answered in a fight like that. It just seemed like a complete waste of time, you know?"
Heading into 2017, Maynard feels he's kind of right back where he was last year. The Las Vegas-based veteran is simply asking for a body at featherweight again -- pretty much anyone -- so he can re-lay foundation for a win streak.
"I'm pretty much just trying to keep active," Maynard said. "I'd like to get on a card in April or May, probably May if there's one here in Las Vegas. Then I'll get another one and check where I'm at when the year is over.
"I have a couple years left. I want opponents who will give me a scrap. I want MMA. That last fight wasn't MMA. I don't know what that was."