UFC 102 Preview – Just How Good is Maia’s Striking?

Maia will put his all-world jiu-jitsu skills to work against Marquardt, who by all standards is out of his league in terms of wrestling. The problem with this fight is that we don’t have enough information on the 10-0 SU Maia. The highest profile fighter he’s defeated is Jason Macdonald, and he’s taken everyone to the mat in each fight. We have no idea how good his striking is.

“The Great” Nate Marquardt is a punishing fighter, and for him to win this match he’s going to have to stay of the mat and let Maia show us just how good he really is on his feet. If Marquardt goes to the ground, then he’s a dead man. Plain and simple. Maia is perhaps the greatest jiu-jitsu wrestler on the planet, and Marquardt’s grappling is average in the ranks of the UFC.

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For Maia, the time will come when he has to prove just how strong his striking abilities are. But this is not that fight for him. He is showcasing some brilliant wrestling right now, and will continue to do so until he gets a chance to take on Anderson Silva at the 185 weight class (if Silva ever comes back from 205). For now, Maia will take it to the mat every time until a fighter is able to defend against his takedowns and challenge him to stay on his feet.

Sorry, Marquardt fans. I know he’s the favorite in this fight, but I can’t side with him. The only reason Maia is the underdog is because we rightfully don’t know enough about him yet. I love the pile driving antics of this maniac as much as you do, but Maia is about to give him a wrestling lesson that Marquardt would prefer to forget.

Furious Free Pick: Maia +140