World-Class Grapplers Collide at UFC Fight Night 29
By Richard Crenwelge, RCM MMA Correspondent
Grappling fans are in for a potential treat when two-time ADCC medalist Demian Maia (18-4 MMA) faces fellow ADCC medalist and freestyle wrestler Jake Shields (28-6 MMA), at UFC Fight Night 29. Although submission superfights like this tend to be either fantastic or abysmal, we should expect an interesting exchange between these fighters, regardless of precedent. There are a number of reasons for this assumption.
The first of these is the rapid development of Maia’s striking. Maia began his career in MMA with a huge gap in his game, both in boxing and kickboxing. After a ton of work, however, Maia has achieved a respectable level. He has, in fact, clearly outstruck multiple opponents in the UFC, even those who were favored in the standup game. In addition, since both Shields and Maia have 183cm of reach, we should expect Maia to get the better of these exchanges, as his ability to engage and disengage in striking has been historically more effective.
The flipside, however, is that Shields is the more physically imposing of the two men. While Maia’s strength and conditioning is much, much improved, he simply does not have the raw physicality of a high-level wrestler. Clearly, Shields does not have the hulking build of Mark Coleman (16-10 MMA) or Kevin Randleman (17-16 MMA), but we saw Shields dominate an amazing wrestler in Dan Henderson (29-10 MMA), so that speaks volumes of Shields’ ability to assert dominant control.
The key here is predicting who will assert their game plan first. If Maia comes out throwing punches-in-bunches, he will probably keep Shields on the defensive for the entire fight. In the event that Maia feels he has something to prove on the ground, then throwing strikes in large volume will lend success in establishing his characteristic judo-influenced clinch work (his sasae tsurikomi ashi against Chael Sonnen (29-13 MMA) would have made Ronda Rousey’s (7-0 MMA) cornerman Gene LeBell leap for joy). Conversely, if Shields is able to time his takedowns properly, he may be able to bridge that short gap between standing and the ground where many fighters are weak. We always thought Dan Henderson was impossible to take down until Shields did it, of course. Shield is most dangerous, though, when the fight is on the ground, and he is allowed to settle into position.
This fight takes place on Oct. 9th at Ginásio José Corrêa, in Barueri, Brazil.
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