UFC Welterweight Bout: Jake Shields vs. Demian Maia
Odds: ( +220 Shields / -280 Maia )
Betting Pick: Maia
Bet on this fight at Bovada
In the main event of the evening, star grapplers Demian Maia and Jake Shields will go head to head in a featured Welterweight showdown. These are two of the most accomplished submission grapplers in the 170 pound division, and both are more than capable of testing the other’s strengths. Shields is the more physical of the two, but over the years Maia has grown into a very capable boxer who has the potential to exploit Shields’ glaring weaknesses in the striking game.
Jake Shields, the former Strikeforce champion, is an undeniably prolific submission grappler who is more than capable of hanging with anyone in the world on the ground. Shields has great defense and submissions from a whole variety of positions. After a disastrous start to his UFC stint that saw him lose two of his first three fights with the only win being a robbery against Martin Kampmann, Shields has settled back down and is coming off a close decision over Tyron Woodley. There’s no question that Shields can get the job done when it comes to grappling. It’s his standup that raises big questions. Maia is hardly the kind of striker opponents have nightmares about, but he is fast and technical. Shields is going to have to be careful not to let Maia dictate how the fight plays out by outboxing him.
Demian Maia is riding a three-fight win streak since dropping down to the Welterweight division. At 185, he was effective because of his quickness and technique. Now that he isn’t fighting generally larger opponents, he has more freedom to let his hands go and try to dictate the pace of fights instead of employing a reactive defensive strategy. Maia was and is a terror on the ground, but it’s his boxing that has put his career back on the right path. He will always depend primarily on grappling, but he has quick hands and accurate punches. Shields is useless on his feet, so if the ground game turns into a stalemate, Maia can always stand up and box him around.
I don’t see much hope for Jake Shields in this fight. His success depends on overwhelming opponents with his grappling prowess, something he has found it increasingly difficult to do. Maia is at least on the same level as Shields when it comes to grappling, if not slightly better. There’s no question at all that Maia is the more effective boxer. I don’t see where Shields can win this fight. He’s never going to be safe on the ground and he can’t fight Maia standing up. Ultimately, I think Maia will dictate how the fight plays out and punish Shields with strikes en route to a unanimous decision.
Prediction: Demian Maia by Unanimous Decision
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