HOUSTON — This is the UFC 136 live blog for Demian Maia vs. Jorge Santiago, a middleweight bout on tonight’s UFC 136 on Spike TV preliminary card from the Toyota Center.
Maia (14-3) is coming off a close unanimous decision loss to Mark Munoz at UFC 131 in June. Former Sengoku champion Santiago (23-9) lost his UFC debut in May to Brian Stann via knockout.
Round 1: The two dance around the cage exchanging punches. Maia flurries, then drives low and takes Santiago down. As Maia tries to pass to a better position, Santiago gets to his feet. We’re almost midway through. Santiago throws a head kick. Maia sidesteps him and lands a hook. During an exchange, Maia takes Santiago down again. Santiago is doing a good job keeping his guard closed against Maia’s dangerous submissions, but Maia lands a few strikes, and rides out the round on top. It’s 10-9 Maia.
Round 2: Santiago takes the middle as Maia wades around the outside. Santiago just misses with a head kick. Santiago has done well in the exchanges but just as he finds his rhythm, Maia takes him down again. Santiago defending well from guard. Maia gives up on trying to pass to a better position and instead looks for strikes. It’s sort of a stalemate, and the crowd boos them for the last 10 seconds. It’s Maia again, 10-9.
Round 3: Maia tries for a single leg takedown, this time Santiago defends. Maia keeps driving for it, and Santiago spins away. He’s got to let his hands go. Maia won’t let him. He clinches again. He has Santiago’s back but can’t drag him down. The pace is a grind. Finally, Maia takes him to the ground with 2:30 left. Maia scores with an elbow. Santiago is so intent on closing his guard that he hasn’t thought of trying to get up. Maia passes to side control but does nothing with it. This crowd is now officially restless. Luckily, time is nearly out. Maia lands a series of elbows in the final seconds, and it’s his again, 10-9.
Winner: Demian Maia via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
HOUSTON — This is the UFC 136 live blog for Demian Maia vs. Jorge Santiago, a middleweight bout on tonight’s UFC 136 on Spike TV preliminary card from the Toyota Center.
Maia (14-3) is coming off a close unanimous decision loss to Mark Munoz at UFC 131 in June. Former Sengoku champion Santiago (23-9) lost his UFC debut in May to Brian Stann via knockout.
Round 1: The two dance around the cage exchanging punches. Maia flurries, then drives low and takes Santiago down. As Maia tries to pass to a better position, Santiago gets to his feet. We’re almost midway through. Santiago throws a head kick. Maia sidesteps him and lands a hook. During an exchange, Maia takes Santiago down again. Santiago is doing a good job keeping his guard closed against Maia’s dangerous submissions, but Maia lands a few strikes, and rides out the round on top. It’s 10-9 Maia.
Round 2: Santiago takes the middle as Maia wades around the outside. Santiago just misses with a head kick. Santiago has done well in the exchanges but just as he finds his rhythm, Maia takes him down again. Santiago defending well from guard. Maia gives up on trying to pass to a better position and instead looks for strikes. It’s sort of a stalemate, and the crowd boos them for the last 10 seconds. It’s Maia again, 10-9.
Round 3: Maia tries for a single leg takedown, this time Santiago defends. Maia keeps driving for it, and Santiago spins away. He’s got to let his hands go. Maia won’t let him. He clinches again. He has Santiago’s back but can’t drag him down. The pace is a grind. Finally, Maia takes him to the ground with 2:30 left. Maia scores with an elbow. Santiago is so intent on closing his guard that he hasn’t thought of trying to get up. Maia passes to side control but does nothing with it. This crowd is now officially restless. Luckily, time is nearly out. Maia lands a series of elbows in the final seconds, and it’s his again, 10-9.
Winner: Demian Maia via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
HOUSTON — This is the UFC 136 live blog for Demian Maia vs. Jorge Santiago, a middleweight bout on tonight’s UFC 136 on Spike TV preliminary card from the Toyota Center.