Source: Demian Maia to Get Next Middleweight Title Shot, Possibly in August
A source close to the camp of UFC middleweight contender Demian Maia has informed Cage Potato that the Brazilian is expected to be offered the next middleweight title shot against the winner of the Anderson Silva/Thales Leites bout (in other words, Silva) late this summer.
There's no official date set, but our source says Maia's camp is expecting the bout to take place in late August, which would most likely put it at UFC 102 in Portland, Ore. The middleweight title bout would certainly bolster a card that's rumored to be headlined by Randy Couture returning home to the Pacific Northwest to take on Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
If anybody's earned a shot at the middleweight strap, it's Maia. The undefeated submissions wiz made Chael Sonnen look like a novice in his last bout, and his jiu-jitsu skills would offer a challenge that we haven't yet seen Silva face during his run as UFC champion.
Stay tuned for more details as they emerge.
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Anonymous Says:
Aaaaaaaaaand Okami keeps getting screwed...
Bojangles Says:
Okami def deserves the shot, then Maia should get his chance.
ruckus Says:
Can't wait for this fight.
Although lets be serious, regardless of how good Maia is on the ground... it could be a very short night for him if he can't get it there.
SiDeBuRnZ Says:
I'd much rather see maia fight now than wait for thales leites to get demolished first. Definitely a more interesting match-up of styles.
WAR MAIA!
someguy Says:
"listen up Maia and Okami. Will the fighter who gets the next title shot please step forward, not so fast Okami!"
Geriatric Peon Says:
Honestly I would be happy with either Marquart or Maia for the next shot. Maia has the contrasting style and Marquart has looked awesome in his last few fights and I think actually makes a decent opponent for Silva.
Okami does deserve the shot but until he shows the Joe Silva that he can excite a crowd he isn't going to get anything more than mid level opponents.
portland mma Says:
That would be amazing if this card is in Portland. Maia has some of the most impressive jits I've ever seen in MMA but I don't know how he is going to try and stand with Anderson. I've been wanting to watch Couture and Nog for years now, even though they've both lost a step this will be an awesome fight.
UFC fan Says:
Anderson Silva would wipe his ass with Okami's face, it wouldn't be worth a shit to watch Okami get destroyed, he is NO match for Anderson. I would much rather see Maia get the shot, he is the only one who even has a chance.
trey4life Says:
its too early for maia, let a silva have okami then gsp super fight and finish off career with maia
Snuffy Says:
You know, sometimes in life dreams do come true...
Harry Russo Says:
ufcfan is a pussy who is scared because Okami would beat silva
bstive Says:
If anyone is going to take down the mighty silva, it will be this man.
portland mma Says:
I am honestly one of Maia's biggest fans but Anderson has some underrated ground skills that he rarely if ever has to utilize because his striking is so amazing. Maia may have world class Jiu Jitsu but how are you going to get Anderson Silva there? He isn't Sonnen.
Brandon Says:
WTF they are screwing Okami again!!
Anonymous Says:
This is absolutetly disgusting. I am probably the biggest maia fan around. I've been on his bandwagon long before his UFC debut but the fact that Okami is not getting his shot is proof that MMA is not sport, and even worse it's becoming fucking WWE. Even guys with revolutionary fighting styles like machida are forced to change their fighting style and it's not about winning and competition. I say Okami should just leave the ufc and at least try to make money in Sengoku along with his teamates. Might as well since being a top 3 middleweight doesn't seem to get him anywhere.
VegasMMAfan Says:
Okami got screwed again, but DAMN, I can't wait for Maia to shine!
T Rex Says:
I think most of the people in these comments have no idea who Okami actually is, and are just using his name because they've heard he's getting screwed by the UFC for his title shot. Fact is, dude is kind of boring to watch. Even if he wins, that's not who the UFC wants to have as a champ.
Anonymous Says:
T-Rex.... although I agree to some degree (heh...rhymes), I do have to say that Okami deserves a title shot. Lord knows he would have won against Franklin if either 1. He didn't do his "feel around" process 1st round in a 3 round non title bout. or 2. He had an extra round.
Despite being "boring" I figure a person's RECORD, not their disposition to brawl it out, should be the factor in who deserves a title shot. Same thing goes for Machida. He was finally going to get a title shot REGARDLESS of whether or not he K.O./TKO'd Silva.
Anonymous Says:
Oh...and WIth that said...F*CK the UFC
Tree Frog Says:
Okami won his fight against Lister while taking next to no damage. Machida did much the same thing in his previous fights and eventually got a title shot.
We're going to see other fighters try emulate that style, while admittedly striving to balance it with an entertaining style, because over the long term, it's so much more sustainable. Not everyone wants to end up being unable to do more than mumble on-camera with a punch-drunk expression on his face like Wanderlei.
Lil' Doomsday Says:
Maia is the man. Hope he gets the fight and I hope it is a good one. Kinda wish he had one or two more fights between now and then. Maybe toss him a safe bet, so in other words, someone other than Marquardt.
MMA FAN Says:
I would love to see the couture nogueira fight coming of wins but i guess this will do. I just hate when they talk about the fighters saying oh hes washed up. thats why i want them to proove they stilll got it to all of those ignorants
steve Says:
so okami is rocking the 3 straight wins, 2 via decision. and while that shouldn't matter, you guys know the ufc books via the ability to finish fights. i say okami deserves a shot, but you won't be able to run silva to decision. the man rains fire & brimstone on everyone. maia hasn't seen the 15 minute mark in the ufc. plus he's bringing back the il in bjj.
war maia!
Anonymous Says:
Lutter and Henderson gave Silva trouble on the ground. Leites has a better chance than the odds will show. I'm betting Leites if the odds are above 3.5 to 1.
thelostbean Says:
Maia will get knocked out by silva when he attempts to pull guard or take a knee to the head if he shoots for a take down. Maia's stand up is horrible. He's great on the ground but if he cant get silva to the ground he's done for!1st round tko! WAR SILVA
Douche Machine Says:
Hey, MMA FAN, you know what irony means? Obviously not. Reread your post and consider your invention of the word "ignorants", you dyslexic fucking douchebag.
Douchey McDoucherton Says:
would be great and I guess kinda ironic to see Maia beat Anderson into submission like he did to Herman but if Hendo beats Bisping he should have the next shot at Anderson
Oops! Says:
Smart move. If Okami gets a shot they need him to get him more TV or PPV time. Part of the problem is Yushin Okami has to better sell himself as an exiting fighter or at least entertaining. Dan Miller is a good test to see if he can finally finish an Oppenent that fans can remeber ala Kalib Starnes beatdown.
Jay Says:
No matter what people are saying about Okami getting screwed I think Maia has earned his shot in the UFC. Yushin's time in the UFC hasn't been dominant, taking the last 3 of 4 fights to decision. Maia on the other hand has pretty much dominated his entire time in the UFC. I, for one, can't freaking wait for this.
mexican arm bar Says:
i just wanna see anderson beat up bisping. god i hate that guy
nippletwist Says:
i would be very surprised to see any of these guys not get knocked out in a fight with anderson.
Anonymous Says:
My oddity of my reaction to this can be pretty much summed up in this clip:
youtube.com/watch?v=FBAxFSjCAQE&feature=channel_page#t=0m58s
Truth2Pwr Says:
Hey, here's a crazy thought! Why not have Maia and Okami fight to see who deserves the shot?
Zany, I know, but it just might work!
Jubbie Says:
While I'm glad to see this fight, I kinda wish it would've been later when Maia had established a stronger standup game. While anything can happen on the ground, I don't see it going there without some kind of mistake on Silva's part.
I feel bad for Okami but he had a chance to destroy Lister. It was a solid win but it should've ended with an exclamation point, which seems to be why the UFC is so reluctant to give him a title shot. I think a Marquardt/Okami fight with the winner facing the Silva/Maia fight would be a nice setup. I'm probably forgetting another contender here though.
portland mma Says:
Okami is a great fighter but I think Anderson would win by murder to avenge his DQ loss. I am not a big Chonan fan but his flying scissor heel hook win over Silva was one of the most beautiful/luckiest things i've ever seen in my life.
UFC fan Says:
Okami lost to Franklin who got dominated by Anderson, face it you okami fags, he can't even come close to being a threat to Anderson. You are just blowing yourselves.
WASAAA Says:
UFC fan,
Shut the fuck up, you dumb tool. Okami has remained competitive in the division far longer than Maia has with his sole loss being to Rich Franklin (in a contested decision). Maia, on the other hand, hasn't even fought anyone in the top10 yet he's getting a title shot.
cr_trinity Says:
Remember ladies, this is ALL CONJECTURE at the moment. CP trying to maintain an air of journalistic credibility, even though I don't know why, seeing as the bulk of it's audience are TUF- reared Grade schoolers anyway.
Anonymous Says:
Demian deserves a shot before this Leites nobody. Okami will be destroyed worse than Franklin.
UFC FAN Says:
Im sorry im such a moron guys. I just don't have alot of friends and my boyfriend hurt my brown star last night when all we had for lube was spray crisco.
Redmoose Says:
Its ok 'UFC Fan'. just keep your mouth shut for the rest of your ignorant days. and leave CP and all the real mma fans alone. just get back on your Kurt Angle bandwagon and go jack off to WWE.
Keyser Soze Says:
I think Silva will KO Maia and Leites in less that two minutes apiece. Maia's jiu jitsu, Leites's jiu jitsu... that's all anyone talks about. Big frikkin' deal. Travis Lutter's a bonafide black belt in jitsu as well, although not the greatest strategist. Look what happened on the ground in that fight. Same with Henderson. Do people think that getting Silva on the ground is the best way to beat him??? This is foolish.
Silva earned his black belt in Jiu Jitsu from legitimate coaches who just don't give away belts. He's earned his, and is very effective on the ground. He just also happens to be a top notch striker and muay thai practitioner. I think the only person who's 185 or under that stands a real chance at beating Silva is GSP (who walks around at 190+ normally). I also believe that there are very very few LHW's that could beat him as well, if any.
Maia's a single faceted fighter who can't strike his way out of a wet paper bag against a good fighter, and he's supposed to be dangerous to Silva? Get real. As for Leites... I just can't see how he would come out on top. Granted both fighters have a puncher's chance, neither one will have good odds come fight day.
Quasicholo Says:
Maia's Jiu Jitsu is the only thing on the planet as beautiful and frightening as Silva's striking. I can't wait for this.
Anonymous Says:
Leites, Maia, Okami, Bisping, Hendo, Marquart....DOESN'T MATTER. Silva will destroy anyone of these guys...face it, the UFC's middleweight division is garbage. The only matchups I'd like to see with Anderson are superfights with the champs of other divisions...1) Silva vs GSP at middleweight and 2) Silva vs. Rampage or Rashad Evans at LHW
WAR SILVA!
UFC fan Says:
sorry wasaaa and redmoose you will have to spell better, and use my nick correctly before you are able to "burn" anyone much less me, its so obvious you had to hide behind a fake me to tell the world of your gay love for each other, but take that shit else where we are talking real MMA, not that fake shit where in YOUR gay world Okami is a fighter, cause his jap ass isnt in this world, so go eat each others pussies, and go play in the street children.
Redmoose Says:
Its cool man, just relax. we're just trying to have an educated conversation here and your just sounding a little ridiculous and immature. Its ok, I think we'll give you another shot at being a man with the rest of us and acting your age. Thanks.
Irishwolfhound Says:
Glad to see Maia finally getting a shot, he's one of my favorite fighters, if not, then the number one for me. His attitude seems just real easy going and peaceful, very good contrast to most loudmouths in the ufc. And also i like what he describes as his personal favorite move "whatever finishes my opponent without hurting them."
bjj Says:
whats the matter with you people!!
okami took 3 rds to win over rory singer,kalib starns,alan belcher, jason mcdonald, and mike swick
lost to rich franklin whcih silva destroyed twice...
waste of PPV...
on the otherhand...
DM has the most dangerous jj in the ufc..defeated all his oponents submitting them...anderson has only been deafeted via submission...DM is the only guy in UFC that has a chance against anderson!
Dubbayoo Says:
If he can make 185, I say Canseco should fight Anderson...