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I think we've all been sleeping on Maia recently.
He dominated the first round vs Rory, then gassed and got beat up... but that was Rory, who is one of the best all-round fighters in the world.
He "lost" a split decision to Shields, but I don't know how anyone can feel certain about who won that fight. Shields had an eye-catching brilliant sweep at one point, but over the piece it was as even as it gets. And even then, Shields is one of the greatest grinding, nullifying, strong and defensively savvy grapplers in MMA history.
Consider just how strong and how dominant Maia was against excellent competition in Jon Fitch, Rick Story, and now Neil Magny (and I think it was clear how the Dong Hyun Kim fight was going to go before the injury).
Maia at ww just looks like a mw fighting ww's, he just seems way too strong for these natural 170 guys, and this allied to his other-worldly technique make him a daunting prospect for the guys at the top IMO.
OK, yes I am a bit of a Maia fanboy I admit this, but am I being irrational in thinking that he still has a last late-career title run in him? I don't believe Demian could defeat Lawler or Hendricks, but everyone else in the contender picture is a winnable fight for him as I see it. I can envisage him doing to guys like Condit and Woodley what he has done to Fitch and Story etc.
Or should I put the Kool Aid away and calm down?
He dominated the first round vs Rory, then gassed and got beat up... but that was Rory, who is one of the best all-round fighters in the world.
He "lost" a split decision to Shields, but I don't know how anyone can feel certain about who won that fight. Shields had an eye-catching brilliant sweep at one point, but over the piece it was as even as it gets. And even then, Shields is one of the greatest grinding, nullifying, strong and defensively savvy grapplers in MMA history.
Consider just how strong and how dominant Maia was against excellent competition in Jon Fitch, Rick Story, and now Neil Magny (and I think it was clear how the Dong Hyun Kim fight was going to go before the injury).
Maia at ww just looks like a mw fighting ww's, he just seems way too strong for these natural 170 guys, and this allied to his other-worldly technique make him a daunting prospect for the guys at the top IMO.
OK, yes I am a bit of a Maia fanboy I admit this, but am I being irrational in thinking that he still has a last late-career title run in him? I don't believe Demian could defeat Lawler or Hendricks, but everyone else in the contender picture is a winnable fight for him as I see it. I can envisage him doing to guys like Condit and Woodley what he has done to Fitch and Story etc.
Or should I put the Kool Aid away and calm down?