UFC 211: Miocic vs. Dos Santos Full Card Preview and Predictions

Demian Maia is getting treated very poorly by the UFC.Buda Mendes/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

Division: Welterweight
Records: Demian Maia (24-6), Jorge Masvidal (32-11)

If the UFC were a legitimate sports organization, Demian Maia's career would be in a very different place at this point.

After several up-and-down years at middleweight, Maia dropped to 170 pounds and instantly established himself as a contender with wins over Dong-Hyun Kim, Rick Story and Jon Fitch. While he stuttered a bit after that, taking decisions losses in back-to-back competitive fights, he has since broken off a downright fearsome six-fight winning streak composed almost entirely of ranked opposition.

Unfortunately, wins and losses mean very little in MMA these days. As a snifter of cognac in a beer drinker's sport, Maia's otherworldly grappling skills have largely gone unappreciated by both fans and UFC brass with five of his six most recent fights landing on free television.

The UFC, frankly, seems to want Maia to lose and that's a sentiment his next opponent, Jorge Masvidal, picked up on. "I got the call from UFC, they figured out one thing, they can use me to take out all the guys the don’t like," he said last month. "So, I’m here baby, I’m going to do what I do come May 13."

Gamebred could be up to the task, too.

Long a technically solid fighter that struggled to woo judges, he has reinvigorated his career with a move to welterweight, an amplified mean streak, and a well-timed win over a surging Donald Cerrone. Now with Maia in his sights, he has the opportunity to go from being Dana White's hitman to a bona fide title contender.

That's easier said than done, though. While the UFC would like nothing more than for Maia to go away, there are few capable of making that a reality. Masvidal may have a better chance than most, given his high-level striking and strong discipline, but the most likely outcome is Maia making it seven in a row.

Prediction: Demian Maia def. Jorge Masvidal by Unanimous Decision