Demian Maia responds to champ Tyron Woodley's unfortunate comments about Masvidal fight

Demian Maia is not the type to engage in peer feuds, but he does think a little coherence could do champ Tyron Woodley some good.

A few months ago, when a UFC 209 rematch with Stephen Thompson was announced, Woodley (16-3-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) was saying he should be facing “classy guy” Maia (24-6 MMA, 18-6 UFC), instead. But, during a recent interview with the UFC Unfiltered podcast, Woodley was a little less kind, using the word “stupid” to describe the contender’s decision to accept a fight with Jorge Masvidal (32-11 MMA, 9-4 UFC) at the upcoming UFC 211.

Maia, who had explained his reasons for taking the matchup, obviously doesn’t agree. But, looking at the entire picture, he sees a pattern that is ultimately bad for the champ himself.

“He doesn’t know why I made this decision, he doesn’t know the kind of situation that went down,”Maia told MMAjunkie ahead of next Saturday’s’s pay-per-view scrap at American Airlines Center in Dallas. “So, it was an unfortunate comment. And, also, I see that pattern in him – he never knows if he wants to be a nice guy, or an arrogant guy, or a guy who promotes himself, or a good guy. He can’t go in one direction.

“I think this lack of coherence only hurts him. I think that’s why he’s a champion who doesn’t have a lot of charisma.”

Currently riding a six-fight streak, having most recently made quick work of former title challenger Carlos Condit at this past August’s UFC on FOX 21, Maia has proven himself a worthy contender. A win over the surging Masvidal, who rides a three-fight streak of his own, would add a heavy stamp to what is already a strong title shot case.

Maia agrees with that. But, having been down this path before, he puts a lid on his own expectations.

“I think it is (the No. 1 contender fight), at least for me,” Maia said. “I think if I win, with seven wins in a row, (I deserve a shot). But I don’t know, because everything has been so crazy – we have no way of knowing.

“I want to see what happens, because I have this fight in front of me. I am no longer falling into this trap of losing focus on the fight. My title fight is next Saturday – that’s the most important thing. The rest is just consequence.”

Mirroring a widespread sentiment, Masvidal believes Maia is the most qualified candidate for title contention. And beating Maia, he reasoned in a recent interview with MMAjunkie Radio, should make him worthy of that spot.

“Not for nothing, but Maia is the No. 1 contender by far,” Masvidal said. “I know it – six-fight winning streak, the way he’s handled guys. He’s the No. 1 contender. If, God willing, I beat that dude and I’m not the No. 1 contender, the sport’s taken a dramatic turn for the worse.”

Maia’s thoughts on Masvidal’s expectations to become the No. 1 contender should he come out victorious?

“Obviously, he’s going to say that,” Maia said. “That’s just a matter of logic. He’s never going to say that if he beats me he’s not going to want to fight for the belt, so that’s just obvious.”

Currently ranked No. 5 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA welterweight rankings, Maia certainly carries a lot of momentum into the cage. But, as far as the betting odds go, he’s a slight underdog compared to No. 9 Masvidal.

The numbers, however, don’t really faze the Brazilian welterweight. As a habitually quiet guy who avoids media distractions the closer he gets to a fight, Maia believes the betting lines are more reflections of outside-the-octagon factors than anything else.

“I think this has a lot to do with the fact he’s been more present in the media lately, when I kept to myself more,” Maia said. “He’s in the media a lot, creating controversy, I think that makes people pay more attention to him and it consequently put him as the favorite.”

While the matchup may be most generally viewed as a striker vs. grappler showdown, Masvidal’s takedown defense is undeniably a huge asset in his favor. But, heading into his 25th octagon appointment, Maia thinks there’s nothing there he hasn’t seen before.

“I’ve fought many athletes who were strikers, and many fighters who defend takedowns well,” Maia said. “He has his specific features, of course, but it’s nothing I haven’t faced in my 30-fight career.”

For more on UFC 211, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.