Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller

Dan Miller has a decent amount of talent and a ton of heart. He’s not a flashy fighter by any means. He likes to outwork his opponents. He’s had a couple of submissions wins in his UFC career. No knockouts yet. That’s too bad – it would sure come in handy against his opponent.

If you can’t knock Demian Maia out, you’re going to be in big trouble when he gets you to the mat. You see, Nate Marquardt had the right idea. You need to kill Maia with one punch, preferably in the first 10 seconds of the bout. Really, why risk grappling with this guy?

Unfortunately, Dan Miller is going to have to prepare for this eventuality. Despite not having world-class wrestling, Maia always finds a way to get his opponent to the ground. He’s very dangerous, regardless of whether he’s in top or bottom position. Maia could put his opponent in a choke and break-dance at the same time.

Miller’s usual straight-ahead strategy will only play into Maia’s hand. To win this fight, Miller will have to fight like Tim Sylvia. Just poke that jab out there a million times while staying as far away as possible.

Don’t let this turn into a grappling match…or even a mixed martial arts match. Just stay away until Maia gets so frustrated he sticks his head out. But if you can’t KO him Marquardt-style, you should continue to play it safe.

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