No Clear Date or Event, Demian Maia and Jake Shields Agree to UFC Welterweight Showdown
Brazilian welterweight Demian Maia was supposed to be fighting on this weekend’s UFC 163: Aldo vs. Korean Zombie fight card in Rio de Janeiro, but had the fight yanked out from under him when Josh Koscheck withdrew due to injury.
Although Maia was pulled from the fight card altogether, he already has another opponent lined up.
Maia will next face Jake Shields, according to a report on UFC Tonight on Tuesday night.
There were few details available as to when or where the two would meet, but both fighters have reportedly agreed to the bout.
Following a roller coaster ride during his last couple of years at middleweight, Maia (18-4) dropped to welterweight last year and hasn’t looked back. He is currently 3-0 at 170 pounds, racking up victories over Dong Hyun Kim, Rick Story and Jon Fitch.
Maia hasn’t fought since defeating Fitch at UFC 156 in February.
Shields (28-6-1, 1 NC) has also bounced around weight classes. He left Strikeforce as the promotion’s middleweight champion, but dropped to welterweight upon entering the Octagon.
He defeated Martin Kampmann in his UFC debut, but then lost back-to-back bouts to Georges St-Pierre and Jake Ellenberger.
Shields then jumped up to middleweight where he defeated Yoshiro Akiyama, but then had a victory over Ed Herman turned to a no contest after Shields failed his post-fight drug test.
He returned to welterweight at UFC 161 in May, winning a split decision victory over Tyron Woodley.
This is an important bout for both fighters, as a victory over the other notches the winner at the top end of the weight class.
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