UFC 91 Preview: Demian Maia vs Nate "Rock" Quarry
One of them is a decorated Abu Dhabi world champion in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu capable of pulling off savvy, dominating submissions reminiscent of the storied Gracie family. The other- a tough, experienced slugger finally on the rise after a career-threatening injury sidelined him for over a year. Both of them are hungry, but only one man is going to emerge victorious on Saturday, November 15th, moving ever closer to a shot at reigning UFC middleweight boss Anderson Silva.
Very few fighters enter the UFC under the weight of high praise and even higher expectations, and among them, an even fewer number emerge from their debuts having lived up to those expectations. Not only has Demian Maia (8-0 MMA) lived up to the substantial hype surrounding his Octagon debut, but he has garnered levels of it much higher than when he first entered the UFC in 2007 to win “submission of the night” honors against veteran Ryan Jensen. Two gritty submission wins later—over notable opponents in Ed Herman and Jason MacDonald—and Maia is now the first ever fighter in UFC history to win “submission of the night” in three consecutive bouts.
What makes this achievement even more remarkable is not the final result of these bouts, but rather the manner in which Maia has gone about his victories. Yes, all three of his UFC bouts have ended with a submission, however, what makes Maia unique is that his fighting style reflects none of the hesitation or unwillingness to engage his opponent as past grapplers have. Maia is aggressive, calculating in a manner that likens him to light heavyweight contender Lyoto Machida, and, to put it bluntly, one tough S.O.B. (Seeking confirmation? Watch his grueling three round grappling clinic with Jason MacDonald at UFC 87.)
When Demian Maia finally locks on that long-overdue submission, he does not—as the popular MMA terminology would have us believe—“catch” his opponent, but rather forces him to accept the fact that such was an inevitable outcome; he will be submitted at some point in the fight. For Maia, the submission had better come sooner rather than later in his UFC 91 bout with Nate Quarry (10-2 MMA). The longer he stands with the grizzled veteran, the more knots he’ll wake up with on his forehead on the 16th.
Coupled with underrated leg kicks and an absolutely devastating punching barrage ready to be unleashed from both fists, Nate “Rock” Quarry lived up to his name prior to—and now following—his own brutal knockout loss to former middleweight champion Rich Franklin. The Ultimate Fighter 1 cast member (he had to pull out of the first season due to injury) boasts impressive numbers in the striking realm, where 60% of his professional victories have come by knockout or TKO.
Coming off of two impressive, albeit vastly differing wins over Pete Sell (via knockout) and Kalib Starnes (via decision), Quarry has rebounded from a severe back injury over a year ago to return as one of the most potent lurking threats to anyone in the middleweight division.
In his bout with Demian Maia on Saturday night, Quarry will be looking to bring the Brazilian’s Submission Train to a screeching halt with one of his powerful left hooks. He hopes that Maia—still largely untested on the feet—will bite off more than he can chew, but unfortunately for Quarry, the opposite may be the case.
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Although possessed of a truly lethal arsenal of hooks, overhand strikes, and straight punches, Quarry is well aware that once he finds himself on his back—and he will—the night could be a quick one for him, as he has none of the submission savvy, flexibility, or overall ground game of any of Maia’s previous UFC opponents, most namely MacDonald.
Unless “Rock” is able to goad the confident Maia into a stand-up war, or is able to capitalize on a slip or footing error—Quarry does have exceptional ring movement—look for the 2007 Abu Dhabi champion to add another name to his growing list of submission victims—as well as a hefty, probable fourth “submission of the night” bonus to his wallet—as he eats a few good punches en route to a trip takedown. Once on the ground, as is usually the case with Maia, it will only be a matter of time before Quarry is forced to tap, or is woken up—dazed and frustrated—by the referee a few seconds after the fact.
Maia need only worry about how many of those punches he plans on eating, as it will only take one or two solid hooks to put him—and his unblemished record—down for the count.
Official Prediction: Demian Maia by Submission (RNC, Round 1-2)
By Steven T. Kelliher
ProFighting-fans.com Staff Writer