Tag: UFC 163

UFC 163: Demian Maia Being Pushed in Wrong Direction with Josh Koscheck Matchup

Demian Maia has looked like a man on a mission since dropping to 170 pounds.The former middleweight title challenger has out-grappled judo black belt Dong Hyun Kim, become the first fighter to stop the scrappy Rick Story and beat long-time welterweight…

Demian Maia has looked like a man on a mission since dropping to 170 pounds.

The former middleweight title challenger has out-grappled judo black belt Dong Hyun Kim, become the first fighter to stop the scrappy Rick Story and beat long-time welterweight contender Jon Fitch at his own game on the ground.

In doing so, Maia has already become a top-10 UFC welterweight and is starting to look like one of the division’s biggest threats to champion Georges St-Pierre. A world-class jiu-jitsu practitioner with solid wrestling, the Brazilian could present St-Pierre with the most well-rounded ground game he’s seen.

All this momentum he’s riding, and UFC matchmakers have handed Maia a fight with Josh Koscheck.

Yeah, Koscheck is a big name in the welterweight division and he’s still a top-10 fighter, but this matchup is an unnecessary step backward for the surging Maia.

Koscheck is coming off a knockout loss to Robbie Lawler, who had lost five of his prior eight fights heading into that bout. Prior to being beaten by Lawler, Koscheck was defeated by Johny Hendricks. Yet, here he is, barely clinging onto the No. 10 spot in the 170-pound rankings and still being given an opportunity to meet one of the hottest contenders in the welterweight class.

A UFC veteran who has paid his dues, Koscheck deserves big fights, but there are plenty of popular welterweight fighters coming off losses that could have made more sense as opponents than Maia. Martin Kampmann and Nate Marquardt both come to mind.

Maia deserves a better fight than this.

Coming off a dominant win over Jon Fitch, Maia should be fighting a top-five welterweight, not a struggling former teammate of his most recent opponent with a very similar set of skills.

With Rory MacDonald set to fight Jake Ellenberger and Hendricks in line to challenge St-Pierre, the options were limited for UFC matchmakers in determining Maia’s next fight. In a way, that should have made the decision even easier for them, though.

The only top-five welterweight not locked into a matchup at the moment is Carlos Condit. Although—like Koscheck—he has lost two straight fights, he took elite welterweights St-Pierre and Hendricks the distance in entertaining contests.

It’s possible the UFC is looking to set Condit up with a rematch against Nick Diaz, but I’m not so sure that’s a fight most fans want to see, considering the chess match that the first meeting between those two fighters turned into. And with Diaz not even guaranteed to return to the Octagon, it’s definitely not a matchup that’s worth holding out for at Maia’s expense. 

An impressive win over Condit could have set Maia up for a title shot. Instead, Maia finds himself in a matchup that does little for him even if he wins in an incredible way.

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UFC 163: Demian Maia vs. Josh Koscheck Reportedly Targeted for Main Card

Demian Maia is continuing to climb the welterweight ladder, and his next stop on the way to a title shot goes through Josh Koscheck at UFC 163.MMA Fighting reports that sources close to them have confirmed the fight, with the UFC yet to make the bout o…

Demian Maia is continuing to climb the welterweight ladder, and his next stop on the way to a title shot goes through Josh Koscheck at UFC 163.

MMA Fighting reports that sources close to them have confirmed the fight, with the UFC yet to make the bout official.

Maia, a fourth-degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, has torn a path right through the UFC’s 170-pound division ever since dropping from middleweight. He has racked up three straight wins against Dong Hyun Kim, Rick Story and Jon Fitch.

Maia is also a one-time title contender from middleweight, having dropped a surprisingly competitive, yet strangely paced match against Anderson Silva.

Although Koscheck (No. 10) holds a lower rank than Maia (No. 5) in the official UFC rankings, defeating the one-time title contender and 22-fight UFC veteran would arguably set up Maia for a future title shot against Georges St-Pierre—assuming that he still holds the belt by that time.

GSP is slated to face current No. 1 contender Johny Hendricks at a future event.

Despite spending his career as a perennial “Top 10” welterweight, Koscheck has seen his stock dip in recent fights, having dropped back-to-back losses for the first time in his career against Hendricks and Strikeforce import Robbie Lawler.

Lawler‘s return to the UFC against Koscheck was extremely emphatic, with “Ruthless” putting away “Kos” via technical knockout in one round at UFC 157.

Assuming that the Maia vs. Koscheck bout takes place, the home-field advantage will belong to Maia.

UFC 163 is set to have a featherweight title fight starring Jose Aldo vs. Anthony Pettis, currently rumored to be taking place in Brazil at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

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Report: Demian Maia to Face Josh Koscheck [WUT] at UFC 163 in Rio on August 3rd


(CUUUUURSSSSEE YOOOOUUUU JOOOOEEEE SILLLVVVVAA!!!)

Far be it from us to accuse UFC matchmaker and noted “mean little f*cker” Joe Silva of phoning it in, but when rumors started to circulate that former middleweight title challenger and reborn welterweight Demian Maia would be facing former welterweight title challenger Josh Koscheck, we balked at the idea. Balked I tell you! Sure, Koscheck’s a seasoned veteran, perennial contender, and world-renowned motorboater, but in what universe does it make sense to have a guy on a two-fight losing skid fight a guy on a three-fight winning streak? This one, apparently.

Brazilian outlet NewsMMA was the first to report the matchup, which has since been confirmed by both fighters Sherdog pages.

Like we said, we were quick to dismiss the notion of this pairing…at first. But then we got to thinking: What possible motivation could the UFC have for booking this fight? And then, it all became so clear. The UFC is severing its ties with Josh Koscheck. 

Don’t buy it? Well, let’s just take a little trip down memory lane, shall we?


(CUUUUURSSSSEE YOOOOUUUU JOOOOEEEE SILLLVVVVAA!!!)

Far be it from us to accuse UFC matchmaker and noted “mean little f*cker” Joe Silva of phoning it in, but when rumors started to circulate that former middleweight title challenger and reborn welterweight Demian Maia would be facing former welterweight title challenger Josh Koscheck, we balked at the idea. Balked I tell you! Sure, Koscheck’s a seasoned veteran, perennial contender, and world-renowned motorboater, but in what universe does it make sense to have a guy on a two-fight losing skid fight a guy on a three-fight winning streak? This one, apparently.

Brazilian outlet NewsMMA was the first to report the matchup, which has since been confirmed by both fighters Sherdog pages.

Like we said, we were quick to dismiss the notion of this pairing…at first. But then we got to thinking: What possible motivation could the UFC have for booking this fight? And then, it all became so clear. The UFC is severing its ties with Josh Koscheck. 

Don’t buy it? Well, let’s just take a little trip down memory lane, shall we?

As we all know, the UFC’s current roster is about 100 fighters heavy — this is according to none other than UFC President Dana White. In an attempt to right the ship, the promotion has resorted to several mass firings over the past few months, mass firings that have left half the lot of TUF 17 contestants, unofficial Zuffa political advisor Jacob Volkmann, and the likes of Terry Etim and Paul Sass (among others) in the dust.

Also claimed by the great deluge of 2013 was former welterweight title challenger Jon Fitch, who was seemingly tossed out like yesterday’s trash after spending upwards of seven years with the promotion. Here’s what Dana White had to say about the “super f*cking expensive” AKA product when attempting to explain the reasoning behind his departure:

Jon Fitch was ranked number nine, OK, however you want to look at that, he’s ranked number nine, whether it’s right or wrong or the rankings are bullshit or whatever. Ranked number nine right now. Now, this isn’t a case where Jon Fitch was ranked No. 9, No. 7, No. 6, No. 4, No. 2 and then we cut him. He was ranked No. 1, fought for the title and then he was ranked No. 2. He was ranked No. 3, 6, 7, and now he’s 9. That’s called the downside of your career. He’s on the downside… He’s super f—ing expensive.

If a #9 ranked, former welterweight title challenger with a 2-2-1 record in his past 5 fights who makes $66,000 to show is “too expensive” and on the “downside” of his career, then how do you think DW will view Koscheck — the #10 ranked welterweight who makes $78,000 to show and is 2-3 in his last 5 — should he drop a third straight fight to Maia? And why, for that matter, would the UFC set up what is essentially a lose-lose matchup for Maia at this point?

The answer is simple; this is Koscheck’s sink-or-swim fight. It would appear that the UFC wants him to sink. He’s just come off the second TKO loss of his career — to a pretty hefty underdog, no less — and has next to no chance of fighting for the title as long as GSP is still around. According to our chart, Koscheck is simply too fucking expensive to continue fighting for the UFC, and the Zuffa Gods have realized this.

Watch your back, Crippler. There is a Judas in your midst.

–J. Jones

Report: Demian Maia vs. Josh Koscheck Set for UFC 163

Looks like surging welterweight contender Demian Maia’s path to UFC gold will have to go through former title challenger Josh Koscheck. Brazilian media outlet NewsMMA broke the story, with LowKick.com being the first media outlet to provide a…

Looks like surging welterweight contender Demian Maia’s path to UFC gold will have to go through former title challenger Josh Koscheck. 

Brazilian media outlet NewsMMA broke the story, with LowKick.com being the first media outlet to provide an English translation.  

The report states that the bout will take place at UFC 163 on August 3, which is yet to have a location determined. 

The pay-per-view event will be headlined by a featherweight title fight between Jose Aldo and former WEC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis (via USA Today). 

Maia, a former middleweight title challenger, has taken the 170-pound division by storm since July of last year, winning three straight over Dong Hyun Kim, Rick Story and Jon Fitch. 

In Koscheck, a friend and former teammate of Fitch, he faces another decorated wrestler who challenged welterweight kingpin Georges St-Pierre for UFC gold a few years ago. However, Koscheck has fallen on hard times recently, going just 2-3 in his past five fights and has recently dropped two straight bouts to Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler, respectively. 

Maia, a decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, means the road isn’t getting any easier for the former four-time All-American collegiate wrestler. 

The Brazilian has submitted accomplished wrestlers before in Story and Chael Sonnen, though he has shown he can be controlled on the mat to an extent in his fights with Chris Weidman and Mark Munoz.

Of course, both Weidman and Munoz are much bigger fighters than Koscheck.

Will the crafty guard and submissions savvy of Demian Maia be enough to make Koscheck tap, or will the American’s takedowns, top control and ground-and-pound be overwhelming in this pivotal welterweight matchup? 

 

John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com and contributes MMA videos to The Young Turks Sports Show.

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Will Demian Maia Be the Man to Bring Nick Diaz Out of ‘Retirement’?


(Photo via Esther Lin/MMAFighting.com)

Earlier this month, Nick Diaz‘s lawyer stated that the Anti-Bullshit Superhero would remain retired unless he was offered a rematch with Georges St. Pierre or an even-more undeserved middleweight title shot against Anderson Silva — heartbreaking news, really. But if there’s any MMA fighter who’s likely to violate our MMA fighters retiring then immediately un-retiring ban, it’s Nick. For all of his complaints about being disrespected by his opponents and getting paid too much but not enough, fighting is in Diaz’s blood, which is a nice way of saying that he has absolutely no other marketable skills and will probably need to come back at some point to earn a living.

So forget those silly retirement threats, and let’s talk about reality — who will Nick actually fight next, assuming that the UFC wouldn’t book Diaz vs. GSP II or Diaz vs. Silva unless they were absolutely desperate. How about Demian Maia, the BJJ whiz who has successfully reinvented his career as a welterweight? Maia’s three-round domination of Jon Fitch at UFC 156 placed him in the top-tier of the 170-pound division, and according to a report from Ariel Helwani on last night’s edition of UFC Tonight, Maia wants to face Nick Diaz in his next appearance, preferably on the August 3rd Aldo vs. Pettis card in Rio.


(Photo via Esther Lin/MMAFighting.com)

Earlier this month, Nick Diaz‘s lawyer stated that the Anti-Bullshit Superhero would remain retired unless he was offered a rematch with Georges St. Pierre or an even-more undeserved middleweight title shot against Anderson Silva — heartbreaking news, really. But if there’s any MMA fighter who’s likely to violate our MMA fighters retiring then immediately un-retiring ban, it’s Nick. For all of his complaints about being disrespected by his opponents and getting paid too much but not enough, fighting is in Diaz’s blood, which is a nice way of saying that he has absolutely no other marketable skills and will probably need to come back at some point to earn a living.

So forget those silly retirement threats, and let’s talk about reality — who will Nick actually fight next, assuming that the UFC wouldn’t book Diaz vs. GSP II or Diaz vs. Silva unless they were absolutely desperate. How about Demian Maia, the BJJ whiz who has successfully reinvented his career as a welterweight? Maia’s three-round domination of Jon Fitch at UFC 156 placed him in the top-tier of the 170-pound division, and according to a report from Ariel Helwani on last night’s edition of UFC Tonight, Maia wants to face Nick Diaz in his next appearance, preferably on the August 3rd Aldo vs. Pettis card in Rio.

On one hand, Maia vs. Diaz makes a lot of sense from a competitive standpoint, and you’d think that Diaz would have enough respect for the grappling ace to consider taking the fight. On the other hand, Maia is not Georges St. Pierre or Anderson Silva, which means that Diaz will probably turn his nose up at the suggestion and go back to playing with his nunchucks.

So what do you think? Is Maia vs. Diaz the most logical option for both men? And who wins that fight if it happens?

Will Demian Maia Be the Man to Bring Nick Diaz Out of ‘Retirement’?


(Photo via Esther Lin/MMAFighting.com)

Earlier this month, Nick Diaz‘s lawyer stated that the Anti-Bullshit Superhero would remain retired unless he was offered a rematch with Georges St. Pierre or an even-more undeserved middleweight title shot against Anderson Silva — heartbreaking news, really. But if there’s any MMA fighter who’s likely to violate our MMA fighters retiring then immediately un-retiring ban, it’s Nick. For all of his complaints about being disrespected by his opponents and getting paid too much but not enough, fighting is in Diaz’s blood, which is a nice way of saying that he has absolutely no other marketable skills and will probably need to come back at some point to earn a living.

So forget those silly retirement threats, and let’s talk about reality — who will Nick actually fight next, assuming that the UFC wouldn’t book Diaz vs. GSP II or Diaz vs. Silva unless they were absolutely desperate. How about Demian Maia, the BJJ whiz who has successfully reinvented his career as a welterweight? Maia’s three-round domination of Jon Fitch at UFC 156 placed him in the top-tier of the 170-pound division, and according to a report from Ariel Helwani on last night’s edition of UFC Tonight, Maia wants to face Nick Diaz in his next appearance, preferably on the August 3rd Aldo vs. Pettis card in Rio.


(Photo via Esther Lin/MMAFighting.com)

Earlier this month, Nick Diaz‘s lawyer stated that the Anti-Bullshit Superhero would remain retired unless he was offered a rematch with Georges St. Pierre or an even-more undeserved middleweight title shot against Anderson Silva — heartbreaking news, really. But if there’s any MMA fighter who’s likely to violate our MMA fighters retiring then immediately un-retiring ban, it’s Nick. For all of his complaints about being disrespected by his opponents and getting paid too much but not enough, fighting is in Diaz’s blood, which is a nice way of saying that he has absolutely no other marketable skills and will probably need to come back at some point to earn a living.

So forget those silly retirement threats, and let’s talk about reality — who will Nick actually fight next, assuming that the UFC wouldn’t book Diaz vs. GSP II or Diaz vs. Silva unless they were absolutely desperate. How about Demian Maia, the BJJ whiz who has successfully reinvented his career as a welterweight? Maia’s three-round domination of Jon Fitch at UFC 156 placed him in the top-tier of the 170-pound division, and according to a report from Ariel Helwani on last night’s edition of UFC Tonight, Maia wants to face Nick Diaz in his next appearance, preferably on the August 3rd Aldo vs. Pettis card in Rio.

On one hand, Maia vs. Diaz makes a lot of sense from a competitive standpoint, and you’d think that Diaz would have enough respect for the grappling ace to consider taking the fight. On the other hand, Maia is not Georges St. Pierre or Anderson Silva, which means that Diaz will probably turn his nose up at the suggestion and go back to playing with his nunchucks.

So what do you think? Is Maia vs. Diaz the most logical option for both men? And who wins that fight if it happens?