Demian Maia accomplished many things with his rather swift first-round victory over former interim Welterweight champion Carlos Condit at UFC on FOX 21 last night (Sat., Aug. 27, 2016) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
First off, he backed up his words after he said he was “dominant” even though many — Condit included — feel he’s not the most exciting fighter to watch. And aside from making Carlos eat some crow, he also likely earned himself a shot at the division strap with his sixth straight win.
After his win, the submission wizard claimed he was going to take a break until his much-desired championship fight came. While no one can blame him for taking the route, it’s a rather risky one to say the least.
Instead of breaking it down for you, my colleague already did it best, so I’ll direct you here.
That said, there is no denying that after Stephen Thompson gets his crack at trying to dethrone Tyron Woodley from the top of the division, he should get next crack. And if “The Chosen One” himself can play the waiting game until a title fight comes, then so can Maia.
If anything, he has a better case to do it, as he has six straight victories while Woodley only had two “W’s” on his list before he decided to hold out. For Maia’s sake, hopefully UFC matchmakers make Woodley vs. Thompson official, and soon, so that the 38 year-old doesn’t have to ride the pine too long.
As far as taking another fight in the interim, that’s another roll of the dice that’s unnecessary. Maia has more than earned his stripes and you will be hard-pressed to find someone to disagree. He’s proven time and again that his ground game is second-to-none and he can even make world-class athletes second guess their own abilities.
So if you choose to take a break until you get your title shot, Maia, go for it because you’ve earned it.
For complete UFC on FOX 21: “Condit vs Maia” results, including real-time play-by-play updates, click here.