#3 Nate Marquardt vs Demian Maia
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Demian Maia’s engulfing BJJ had created ripples that lapped the UFC and it wasn’t long before he had strangled his way to the list of contenders for Anderson Silva’s crown. At UFC 102, Maia’s undefeated streak was threatened by former title challenger and now gatekeeper, Nate Marquardt.
The Brazilian had won all but two of his fights by submission, including five in the UFC. Everyone expected Maia’s instincts to take over and him to put on another masterclass in the cage. But what unfolded instead, was a case study in risk avoidance or rather, non-avoidance. Maia had been developing his striking under the nurturing eye of Wanderlei Silva for this fight. Unfortunately, he overlooked the fact that Wanderlei had passed on skills to Maia, but not his chin.
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A few seconds after the first bell, Maia threw a breezy leg kick which was answered by a barbaric right hand from Marquardt. Maia’s limp body crashing to the floor resembled a plane that had been blasted out of the sky. Marquardt pocketed a Knockout of the Night bonus and Maia received title shot one fight later, so all’s well that ends well.
