UFC Predictions – Middleweights Maia and Miranda Look to Make Some Noise at UFC 118

Two Brazilian jiu-jitsu Black Belts meet on the Main Card at UFC 118 and because of the similar style of the fighters, UFC Predictions will need to be carefully considered. Both Demian Maia and Mario Miranda will attempt to climb the Middleweight ladder in hopes of meeting fellow Brazilian Anderson Silva for a title shot down the line.

Event: UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2
August 28, 2010
10PM ET/7PM PT
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Broadcast: Pay-per-view & Select Movie Theaters

Demian Maia (12-2): -200
Mario Miranda (12-1): +160

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Demian Maia will be stepping back into the Octagon for the first time since his farce of a fight against Anderson Silva at UFC 112 and most UFC predictions have Maia bouncing back in a huge way. Widely considered one of the most dangerous submission specialists in the UFC’s Middleweight division, Maia would love nothing more than to regain his status as the number one contender and to get another shot at Anderson Silva.

Maia is no joke. He owns victories over Chael Sonnen, Ed Herman and Dan Miller. There is absolutely no denying his submission prowess but if there is one aspect of his game that has been exposed it is his stand up. Anderson Silva and Nate Marquart both showed that Maia has trouble with accomplished strikers. He’s certainly one dimensional, but that dimension is world class.

Demian Maia’s fight plan will be a very simple one – he will have to take the fight to the ground, period! His questionable chin and his lacking take down defense demand it.

Mario Miranda is a Black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and has the benefit of training with the fighter that last beat Maia. Team Black House with Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida and the Noguiera brothers will have Miranda ready for this fight! Miranda is a well rounded fighter who’s wrestling, striking and submission defense is an excellent complement to his grappling game.

Although Miranda can more than hold his own on the ground, he will likely try to strike his way to victory. Maia has some pretty glaring weaknesses for which Miranda can exploit.

UFC Predictions Outlook:

As mentioned, Maia is a pretty one dimensional fighter but his skill is absolutely top notch. He will seek out a submission from anywhere at any time. Miranda has five wins by knockout to go along with three submission victories, so his power is definitely there. However, Maia has been inside the Octagon with names like Herman, Sonnen Miller and Anderson Silva while Miranda’s experience has been limited to names like David Loiseau and Gerald Harris. It is difficult to imagine that Miranda’s striking will be enough to slow down an uber-motivated Demian Maia. The fact remains that Maia is still a Top Tier fighter while Miranda may be in the second or third tier of Middleweight fighters.

UFC Prediction: Demian Maia -200