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Middleweights Demian Maia and Chris Weidman meet in the first fight on the Fox broadcast of tonight's UFC On Fox 2 fight card from Chicago, Illinois' United Center. Maia (15-3, 9-3 UFC) is a 34-year-old veteran who's been in the UFC since 2007 and fought for the title against Anderson Silva at UFC 112 in 2010. Weidman (7-0, 3-0 UFC) is a 27-year-old up and comer making a big jump from the UFC 139 preliminary card (streamed on Facebook) to American broadcast television.
Weidman is a short-notice replacement for Michael Bisping who moved up the card to face Chael Sonnen when Mark Munoz dropped out due to injury.
Maia is a multi-time world Jiu-Jitsu champion and also an Abu Dhabi (ADCC) submission grappling champ. He's one of the most successful pure grapplers to ever come to MMA and has managed to translate his grappling game to full-contact fighting very well.
Weidman is a decorated collegiate wrestler who trains BJJ under Matt Serra and has ADCC experience as well. Look for his wrestling to stymie Maia on the ground and force the fight to be decided on the feet. Who has the advantage there is a coin toss.
| Aspect | Maia | Points | Weidman | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Range Fighting | ||||
| Boxing | Improving | 0 | Good | Tie |
| Kickboxing | Improving | 0 | Good | Tie |
| Wrestling | Very Good | 1 | Excellent | Weidman |
| Clinch Fighting | ||||
| Dirty Boxing | Good | 1 | Solid | Weidman |
| Thai Clinch | Good | 1 | Ok | Maia |
| Throws/Trips | Very Good | 0 | Very Good | Tie |
| Ground Fighting | ||||
| Positional Control | Very Good | 1 | Excellent | Weidman |
| Scrambling | Very Good | 1 | Excellent | Weidman |
| Ground and Pound | Very Good | 0 | Effective | Tie |
| Submissions | World Class | 2 | Very Good | Maia |
| Intangibles | Change of Opponent | 1 | Short Notice | Maia |
| Overall | No Win Situation | 4/4 | His Big Break | Coin Toss |