This weekend’s UFC 154 event isn’t the only card with exceptional welterweight talent duking it out. As reported by MMAJunkie.com, an intriguing contest between Jon Fitch and Demian Maia has been added to Superbowl weekend’s UFC 156 event.
Maia had previously mentioned Fitch as an opponent that he would like to square off with in an interview with Tatame magazine:
Dude, I think Nick Diaz and Jon Fitch that opponents would surely have much name this division and I would climb fast. The others, I think they are marked with struggles, but these two guys are certainly very tough and they would have proved much I climb in the division.
I think the two have much jiu-jitsu. Both with Nick as with Fitch. Both are good with that, just that I feel more focused on the Fitch’s wrestling than with his jiu-jitsu, and Nick is a guy more with boxing than jiu-jitsu.
The fight has been discussed by many in the MMA community even before it became a reality. Bleacher Report’s own Nathan McCarter broke down a potential fight between the esteemed grapplers in October.
A former challenger for the middleweight championship, Maia has notched a perfect 2-0 record since dropping down to 170 pounds. His victories came over established opponents Dong Hyun Kim and Rick Story, and both wins came in quick and violent fashion.
Fitch has also competed for a championship during his UFC career, although he has been a welterweight for every bout with the company sans his promotional debut. He recently rebounded from a 12-second knockout at the hands of Johny Hendricks by coming out victorious in a stellar fight against Erick Silva at UFC 153.
The AKA veteran is known for a wrestling-centric attack that has stifled any fighter unfortunate enough to be beneath him. With Maia being one of the most elite jiu-jitsu practitioners on the planet, it will be interesting to see what sort of game plan each man brings to the table.
Both men are members of the Top 10, and the victor of this contest should only be another fight or two away from a bout with title implications.
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