MMA.fanhouse talks to middleweight contender Demian Maia:
Obviously you have your fair share of submission wins, but is it even worth the risk for you to go to the ground with him?
That's something I can't answer until I get in the fight, to be honest, because if the opportunity presents itself with him and we land there, and I feel comfortable and do some damage, I'm experienced enough that I'm not going to make some silly mistake and get caught in a triangle or something like that. The triangle that I have to worry about is the one he sets up. If I feel like he's setting stuff up, I'm going to try to get back to my feet, but if I'm doing damage, I'm going to keep doing damage.
Are there certain things he tends to repeat in his submission setups?
Oh yeah, everyone has their setups, whether you're standing, or with takedowns, or on the ground. That's the difference between an amateur or a pro, or a great fighter. They don't just try to hit you; they try to trick you to move a certain way so they can hit you harder. And it's the same thing with submissions. If he wants to push you, he's going to pull you first so you react. That's how great fighters are. They set things up to try to trick you into moving the way they want you to. And he's very good at that.
All of Maia's UFC wins are by submission. Do you view him as being one-dimensional?
I'd say somewhat. He has a couple good takedowns that he does, and I'm sure he's improving everything that he can. His standup, even though he's fairly new at it and is not as experienced as I am, he throws everything with power behind it. So I have to respect all parts of his game. I have to be ready for all areas.
