Ed Soares, Anderson Silva's manager talks to MMA Junkie:
"I think it's a shame that Chael wasn't able to take the fight because I know with all that crap he was talking about Anderson this and Anderson that it would be interesting for him to put all those things he had to say into the octagon," Soares said. "But then again, you've got Demian Maia here who is a guy who submitted Chael stepping up here and taking the fight on less-than-two-months' notice.
"We appreciate Demian stepping up and taking the fight on such short notice, and now you've got two of the best at what they do stepping into the octagon."
Soares also addresses Maia's knock out loss to Nate Marquardt:
"It's a bummer to have a loss two fights ago," Soares said. "But a situation like that, that can happen to anybody. That just goes to show you that if anybody gets hit in the chin with a four-ounce glove, you can go down.
"And it wasn't like he got beat up for three rounds. He literally got caught, and anybody can get caught. I think it was unfortunate, but I don't think it takes away from Demian Maia as a fighter."
It's sort of funny that Soares is happy with Maia as the title challenger, since he objected to Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen, Dan Henderson and Nate Marquart.