Tag: Demian Maia

Stephen Thompson Weighs In On Demian Maia’s Chances vs. Tyron Woodley

Demian Maia has won seven straight fights, and has cruised through several top contenders, but Stephen Thompson thinks the vaunted grappler’s in for a tough go against Tyron Woodley. Although a bout between Maia and Woodley has yet to be announced, Dana White has said that the Brazilian will challenge for the 170 title net. The […]

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Demian Maia has won seven straight fights, and has cruised through several top contenders, but Stephen Thompson thinks the vaunted grappler’s in for a tough go against Tyron Woodley.

Although a bout between Maia and Woodley has yet to be announced, Dana White has said that the Brazilian will challenge for the 170 title net. The UFC President made that pledge after Maia worked his way to a tightly contested, split decision win over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 211 last month.

Well, Thompson knows a few things about Woodley, as the two have battled not once, but twice (the first bout was a majority draw, and Woodley took the rematch via decision). Recently “Wonderboy” was a guest on Submission Radio, and he was asked to weigh-in on Woodley – Maia. Here is some of what Thompson had to say (quotes via Bloody Elbow):

“Tyron is a very strong opponent,” Thompson said. “I mean, he’s proven he can go five five-minute rounds. But man, if Demian Maia gets a hold of him, it’s gonna be a rough night for Tyron. But I do believe that Tyron can send him off of those takedowns. He’s such a powerful guy, great wrestling, good takedown defense. Demian is definitely gonna have a hard time getting Tyron down, and that’s where the whole debacle is gonna be.”

“It could be a stand-up fight. I don’t know if Demian could get Tyron down or not. Maybe he can control him against the cage, but he’s so explosive and so powerful, I think Demian is gonna have a very hard time doing that. And plus, you’ve seen in the past with Demian in the later rounds he gets tired ‘cause he tries so hard to get his opponents down. And you saw the Demian Maia fight, even when he fought Matt Brown, the last round he was just done, you know, it took one hundred percent of him to try and get him down.”

Thompson certainly isn’t the only person to voice this opinion. As the highlight reel striker noted, not only is Woodley ridiculously strong, but he’s a former NCAA Division 1 wrestler. So, this is why, Woodley will likely be a sizeable favorite if and when the fight is finalized.

But, Maia did chain together some nice takedowns against Masvidal, who leading up to the bout, had argued his wrestling would play a key role in the fight. Now, Masvidal doesn’t have the wrestling pedigree of Woodley, but it is something to consider.

Thompson, meanwhile, continues to recover from knee surgery. The welterweight is hoping to return to the cage in September.

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Fallout: Was Demian Maia vs Jorge Masvidal The Definition Of A Draw?

Now, I’ve been going back and forth with this for the last few days and though the fight has already been decided it left me with a pretty interesting question. What exactly constitutes a draw? While we could talk about the scoring system all day, we have consider all manner of thought processes that occur while watching and judging a fight. For a grappling enthusiast it’s easy to say that Demian Maia clearly won and for a striking aficionado that Jorge Masvidal did more damage and deserved the win. But I’m starting to believe that the truth falls somewhere in between.

The post Fallout: Was Demian Maia vs Jorge Masvidal The Definition Of A Draw? appeared first on Cagepotato.

Now, I’ve been going back and forth with this for the last few days and though the fight has already been decided it left me with a pretty interesting question. What exactly constitutes a draw? While we could talk about the scoring system all day, we have consider all manner of thought processes that occur while watching and judging a fight. For a grappling enthusiast it’s easy to say that Demian Maia clearly won and for a striking aficionado that Jorge Masvidal did more damage and deserved the win. But I’m starting to believe that the truth falls somewhere in between.

By now someone has already reached this point in the article and is saying “This guy is just a crybaby, pissed that the striker didn’t win.” I invite you to finish the article and see if you’re still thinking that way by the end.

First and foremost, I’m an MMA fan much like anyone else that visits sites like these or other MMA related pages. Breaking down fights is a pleasure and finding differing opinions has always helped in seeing the intricacies of the game. As such, I happened to come across BJJ Scout’s breakdown of the Demian Maia/Jorge Masvidal bout. To get the details you can watch the video below

To some things up, BJJ Scout was able to breakdown what worked for each fighter and what didn’t work. Jorge Masvidal played a kicking game with Demian Maia. Maia secured takedowns through small inconsistencies in Masvidal’s game. It was a true chess match with each men implementing their game plans in the exact manner that they envisioned. The problem for me is that neither man clearly out dueled the other.

Masvidal was certainly landing more shots and did more damage throughout the bout, that is certain. But he couldn’t prevent Maia from taking him down and controlling position. At the same time, Maia was able to secure positions but was able to finish. In the first he had clear control, but then Masvidal landed some quality shots that made you scratch your chin and wonder, “did that just negate everything that came before?” The third round literally saw Jorge Masvidal dominate the striking realm for half the round and then Demian Maia took over to do what he does.

This begs the question, what does it take to get a draw?

You have two men both implenting their game plans, both being successful in their realm of expertise. Masvidal had the damage advtantage and Maia the positional advantage. Do strikes trump control or does positioning rule the day? It’s what makes judging so damn difficult in the first place. The purest in me believes that this fight was the definition of a draw. On the other hand, holding up the welterweight division isn’t particularly ideal, so having Demian Maia come out the winner was simply the best logical decision, especially when you consider that he finished on top.

What did you make of the Demian Maia vs Jorge Masvidal?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

 

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Demian Maia Refuses To Sell Himself For Welterweight Title Shot

It’s been hard to deny Demian Maia a shot at the UFC welterweight title with his recent string of performances, but the UFC has had no such issue doing just that as of late. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist is currently on a seven fight win streak over names such as Neil Magny, Gunnar Nelson, Matt

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It’s been hard to deny Demian Maia a shot at the UFC welterweight title with his recent string of performances, but the UFC has had no such issue doing just that as of late.

The Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist is currently on a seven fight win streak over names such as Neil Magny, Gunnar Nelson, Matt Brown, Carlos Condit, and Jorge Masvidal. Last night (Sat. May 13, 2017) Maia earned his seventh straight victory with a split decision win over Masvidal at the UFC 211 pay-per-view (PPV) from Dallas.

During the post-fight press conference, Maia stated that he refuses to begin trash talking in order to receive a title shot that he has arguably earned a long time ago. Maia said he has been promised the 170-pound title on multiple occasions, but has been continuously duped (quotes via MMA Fighting):

“A lot of people came up to me and said you need to trash talk,” Maia said. “That’s not me.”

“What I learned lately in my life is that, don’t get too stressed with things that I don’t have control,” Maia said. “Once I won against Gunnar Nelson, they invited me to watch [Robbie] Lawler and [Carlos] Condit in that time. I was supposed to be the next, they were recording me, I was in the front row, but then things change.

“Then I came and won against Matt Brown and they say okay now we’re gonna fight, and then, no, let’s fight Condit. And then I won against Condit, former interim champion, in a very good way and said, ‘okay, now we’re going to fight,’ and no, and finally I got this one. I don’t know, you know? I just relax and I not put this pressure on me anymore.”

Photo by Jerome Miron for USA TODAY Sports

If Maia does finally get the nod to challenge current welterweight champion Tyron Woodley for the title, he won’t turn into somebody he’s not just to try and earn more PPV points:

“That’s my personality,” Maia said. “I’m not going to change that. I’m not going to sell myself just because I want to be a champion, just because I want to make more money, you know? I don’t sell myself. I am what I am. I’m a role model for a lot of people, for my kids. I don’t want to just change because I want to make more money. I’m going to do something, more people are going to like me, I know I have a lot of fans, and it’s a big mistake try to please everybody.”

Maia’s previous wins inside the Octagon have come rather easily for him, having choked out Matt Brown and former interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit consecutively before last night. His fight against Masvidal, however, was much more difficult and he gives “Gamebred” all the credit he deserves for his effort:

“I’ve won seven in a row and I think that was probably the toughest one,” Maia said, “because, the last fights I was controlling all the time, even the fights I didn’t submit, but this one was tougher. You know he really came prepared for my jiu-jitsu and he was defending well the submissions, but I was able to get my positions and I was trying to submit him all the time.”

Photo by Jarome Miron for USA TODAY Sports

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Demian Maia no Longer Stresses Over Things Out of His Control

Demian Maia isn’t worried about what may or may not happen. Maia has emerged as the clear number one contender for Tyron Woodley’s Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight title. Last night (May 13), Maia’s grappling was able to get the better of Jorge Masvidal’s takedown defense and striking just enough. After the split decision win, […]

Demian Maia isn’t worried about what may or may not happen. Maia has emerged as the clear number one contender for Tyron Woodley’s Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight title. Last night (May 13), Maia’s grappling was able to get the better of Jorge Masvidal’s takedown defense and striking just enough. After the split decision win, […]

Demian Maia vs. Jorge Masvidal Results: Winner and Reaction from UFC 211

Demian Maia entered UFC 211 with everything on the line. A loss would have crippled his chances at ever getting another UFC title shot, and he was facing a top-tier challenge against Jorge Masvidal at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
The scorecards …

Demian Maia entered UFC 211 with everything on the line. A loss would have crippled his chances at ever getting another UFC title shot, and he was facing a top-tier challenge against Jorge Masvidal at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

The scorecards may have been split, but the fight clearly belonged to the Brazilian.

Maia’s grappling stifled Masvidal throughout the three rounds and only gave the American Top Team product brief moments to score with his offense, which he did to make it close. Still, the result was the right one with Maia getting his hand raised.

Maia shot in around the 30-second mark. Masvidal fought off the takedown attempt well, but Maia stayed attached to him. Maia took his back, but Masvidal stood with him against the fence. Patience became the name of the game.

Maia peppered Masvidal with punches trying to get space to slip his arm under the chin. Masvidal remained calm enough to defend as the first round ticked under two minutes. Masvidal’s patience paid off with under 30 seconds as he shook Maia to the canvas and landed several big punches. It made the round close as he landed the big offense compared to Maia’s control.

Masvidal was ready to defend slower takedown attempts in the second round as Maia spent a lot of energy in the first frame. Still, Maia tried all the tricks to stay attached to Masvidal. Maia finally assumed top position with Masvidal on his back with two minutes remaining in the second. He would have to begin working from half-guard. Masvidal’s defense got him through another strong two minutes of control from the grappling ace.

Half of the third and final round was spent feeling each other out. Maia looked for an opening knowing he didn’t have the energy to chase Masvidal, and Masvidal was weary of an oncoming takedown attempt. However, at around that halfway marker, Maia was able to get Masvidal to the ground. He worked on a rear-naked choke, but he did not have it under the chin or have Masvidal’s back completely. He would work to that position shortly after giving up the choke.

Masvidal defended until the horn. Survival was his only option, but it was still much more than most of Maia’s opponents have been able to do on the mat. Maia controlled the fight and grappled his way to yet another victory.

The loss was damaging to Masvidal, but only minimally so. Masvidal showed he can survive with Maia on the ground and had moments on the feet to challenge him. Masvidal will move down the ladder again, but his showing proves he’s one of the elite at 170 pounds.

Maia’s next step is clear. A title shot.

Tyron Woodley is seeking a challenge, and all signs point to Maia as being that next man up. That includes a post-fight moment with UFC President Dana White who shouted, “You got it!” from cageside to Maia. The ink still needs to be put to paper, but Maia’s chance at glory is coming up.

Maia vs. Masvidal lived up to the hype. It was a high-level battle of elites. The superior fighter got by with his world-class skills and appears destined for a date with the champion.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Demian Maia Edges Jorge Masvidal, Dana White Promises Him Title Shot

Demian Maia (25-6) likely finally earned a welterweight title shot after defeating Jorge Masvidal (32-12). Maia went to touch gloves and Masvidal wanted none of it. Maia shot in and tied up “Gamebred.” He held onto Masvidal like glue and moved to the back. He locked in both hooks with Masvidal standing. He landed some

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Demian Maia (25-6) likely finally earned a welterweight title shot after defeating Jorge Masvidal (32-12).

Maia went to touch gloves and Masvidal wanted none of it. Maia shot in and tied up “Gamebred.” He held onto Masvidal like glue and moved to the back. He locked in both hooks with Masvidal standing. He landed some punches and looked to reach under the chin of his opponent. The two went down and Masvidal landed some ground-and-pound. The round ended shortly after.

Quickly at the start of round two, Masvidal had to have some loose tape cut. Time resumed and the two touched gloves this time. Maia blocked a high kick. Masvial stuffed a takedown attempt. “Gamebred” landed a kick to the body. A couple of leg kicks connected for Masvidal. Maia grabbed a hold of a leg, but got hit with a knee.

Maia got Masvidal to the ground. Blood formed on the side of Maia’s head. “Gamebred” went to get back up, but Maia held onto the back. Maia landed some punches while in control. The round ended with Maia in top control.

Early in the final frame, Masvidal had his high kick blocked. An inside leg kick was there for “Gamebred.” Masvidal landed a kick to the body. He went for another high kick, which was blocked. Maia capitalized on an off-balanced Masvidal and maintained top control. He went for a rear-naked choke, but Masvidal defended. The final horn sounded and both men seemed to think victory was in reach.

Two of the three judges scored the fight for Maia. Maia went to the cageside where Dana White was and asked for a title shot. White replied, “you got it.”

Final Result: Demian Maia def. Jorge Masvidal via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

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