In the main event at UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. LaFlare, former #1 contender Demian Maia (19-6 MMA; 13-6 UFC) faces rising prospect Ryan LaFlare (11-0 MMA; 4-0 UFC). This five round Welterweight fight caps off the six fight UFC Fight Night main card. The UFC Rankings have Maia as the #7 contender at 170 pounds, LaFlare at #14. UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. LaFlare airs live from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this Saturday, March 21. The main card airs on Fox Sports 1 with a fight time of 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT, with the prelims starting at 8:00 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 2 and 7:00 p.m. ET on Fight Pass.
This is the exact kind of main event you want from a Fight Night card. You've got a veteran fighter who poses a real challenge for anyone in the division but is probably done with title contention at this point. And you've got a less tested undefeated fighter taking the big step up in competition and trying to break through to the upper echelon. Oh, and it will be in front of a red hot crowd. That's a perfect fight recipe if you ask me.
How do these two stack up?
Maia: 37 years old | 6'0" | 72" reach
LaFlare: 31 years old | 6'1" | 74" reach
What have these two done recently?
Maia: W - Alexander Yakovlev (UD) | L - Rory MacDonald (UD) | L - Jake Shields (SD)
LaFlare: W - John Howard (UD) | W - Court McGee (UD) | W - Santiago Ponzinibbio (UD)
How did these two get here?
Demian Maia made his UFC debut in October 2007 - a few months before LaFlare ever even entered the cage as a pro. Over his lengthy UFC run he has seen big highs and lows. His great submission game made him a Middleweight title challenger - his ill-fated attempt to become a points striker cost him all that momentum. His switch to Welterweight revitalized him and put him back in the title mix - his back to back losses to Shields and MacDonald ended those hopes. Maia is pretty clearly slowing down; his last big win was over Jon Fitch in 2013, and he's been out of action since May. So its hard to know exactly what to expect from him here. But if he still has something left in the tank, he's the perfect gatekeeper in this one.
At 31 years old, Ryan LaFlare is not exactly a "young" prospect, but he's clearly the young lion in this fight. LaFlare came to the sport a bit late, debuting in 2008 at age 24. He fought exclusively in New Jersey's Ring of Combat promotion before making the jump to the UFC in 2013. Ring of Combat has produced some serious players in the UFC, and LaFlare looks to become the latest. He's looked good in there against increasingly tough competition, but he takes a definite step up here. One key factor may be ring rust - LaFlare has been sidelined since last April with injury.
Why should you care?
I love a classic gatekeeper fight, and this one fits the bill nicely.