UFC 112: by submitting Anderson Silva, Maia wants to emulate Gracie family
- April 7th, 2010
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Middleweight contender and jiu-jitsu phenomenon Demian Maia gets the chance of a lifetime at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, when he goes up against UFC world middleweight champion Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva, regarded as the No 1 mixed martial artist in the world.
He suffered a setback when he was beaten by Nate Marquardt in his penultimate contest, but he insists he is back with avengeance. “It is no secret that I will try and use my jiu-jitsu to win the fight. I always try and use my jiu-jitsu to win fights. That’s my favourite method of securing victory.”
“This fight with Anderson is no different. He is the best fighter in the world, but that doesn’t change my mindset or gameplan going into the fight. I will still look to take him down and submit him.”
Maia says his wrestling has improved, something he will need. “In order to actually take Anderson down, I’ve been working a lot on my wrestling and my takedowns. I know what to do once we get on the floor, but I need to give myself the best opportunity of taking him there. That’s why I’ve spent a lot of time improving my wrestling.”
“My loss to (Nate) Marquardt was just one of those things. I made a mistake and got caught. I think I had a lot more to offer in that fight, but he caught me before I had a chance to show it,” said the Brazilian of his shock defeat several months ago.
“Since that fight I’ve been working very hard on my striking – as well as all aspects of my game – in the hope that I’d eventually one day fight Anderson for the championship. I was happy with my win over Dan Miller in February and now my chance has arrived. I couldn’t be happier right now. This is what I’ve always dreamed of.”
Maia wishes to follow the line of the Gracie family. “My hero is Royce Gracie and now I’ve got the chance to emulate him and win the UFC championship. It’s a very exciting time for me, and an opportunity that I simply must take.”
“I’ve been working on keeping my distance and knowing when I’m in and out of striking range. Striking isn’t just about kicking and punching. It’s far more complex than that. It’s also about timing and range. You can’t lose concentration when you get in range, otherwise you’ll get caught with something and knocked out. You definitely can’t take those kind of risks against someone like Anderson.”
“Although I stood a lot against Miller, my main style and passion will always be jiu-jitsu. That is my favourite method of fighting and it is something that will be important in this fight. I know my jiu-jitsu is good enough to beat the best guys in the world. I need to improve my striking and my wrestling, but I will always be best at jiu-jitsu. That doesn’t meant I don’t work my jiu-jitsu, either. I am always looking to improve all aspects of my game.”
from: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/garethadavies/100006885/ufc-112-maia-wants-to-emulate-gracie-family-by-submitting-anderson-silva/
By Gareth A Davies