Maia remains a well-known mystery

LAS VEGAS – Sports journalists in Brazil are quick to seek Demian Maia out for a story, and not simply because the unbeaten middleweight is one of the rising stars of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Maia (10-0) is in demand in his native country, at least in part, because of his background. A journalism graduate from Casper Libero in Sao Paulo, Maia shares a lot more in common with the media who report about mixed martial arts than any of the other great fighters that country has produced because he's one of them.

He understands the nuances of a sports story nearly as well as he does the intricacies of an arm bar or the rear naked choke.

"The guys there are always happy to talk to me, because they know I understand them," Maia said following a busy day at his Las Vegas training camp, where he prepared for his bout Saturday in London at the O2 Arena on Spike TV at UFC 95 against Chael Sonnen (23-9-1).

"Sometimes, when they write something about the other fighters, the fighters will get mad and not like it. But I'm like [the journalists]. I have a similar background."

Well, they're similar to a point. There aren't many sports writers who have a black belt and who have rung up submission of the night honors in their last three UFC outings, as Maia has done at UFC 77, UFC 83 and UFC 87.

Maia, whose wife, Renada, is an editor of a magazine in Brazil, is a two-time world champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. But he still has much to prove as an MMA fighter.

UFC president Dana White raved about Maia's jiu-jitsu, but said many questions still remain about whether Maia has the total package.

"Honestly, right now I think it's pretty hard to say," said White, who briefly considered using Maia as a coach on the currently filming season of "The Ultimate Fighter."

"He's got sick fight jiu-jitsu and that's important. There are a lot of guys who are great at sport jiu-jitsu, but put them in a fight and they're going to get the [expletive] beaten out of them. But Demian has fight jiu-jitsu and it's real good.

"You can't let yourself get too far ahead with this guy, though. Not everybody is going to be so easy for him to get to the ground. Then, is he going to be able to stand with guys? There's a lot we still don't know."

Sonnen is impressed with Maia, enough to suggest that Maia is already good enough to defeat UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

Silva, who is tied for the top spot in the Yahoo! Sports MMA rankings, is nearly a deity in White's eyes, but Sonnen told USA Today that he felt both he and Maia could defeat Silva.

"I think I'm better than Anderson and I think Demian's better than Anderson," Sonnen was quoted as saying by the newspaper's Sergio Non. "I think we would both beat him."

Maia said he appreciated Sonnen for including him in that view, but White was incredulous upon learning of Sonnen's words.

He laughed and then said, "You're [expletive] me, right?"

Assured it was no joke and that the newspaper had quoted Sonnen as saying that, White said, "Chael Sonnen really said that? And he was serious? OK. Whatever. I've heard everything now. More power to him, I guess."

Maia said he's eager to earn a shot against Silva, but he was careful not to go as far as Sonnen. They know each other from Brazil, but said they have no relationship that would prevent a match.

Maia, though, understands the task before him. He has to reel off a number of wins over highly ranked opponents before White considers pairing him with Anderson.

"I feel like I have a chance to win against Anderson, but he's beating everybody and he's the best in the world," Maia said. "I don't even think too much about that now, because there is a lot more for me to do before that becomes a possibility.

"If I do my job every time, then there comes a point when it's obvious to everyone and then things will take care of themselves. For me to say, 'Now I'm dreaming of [fighting] Anderson Silva,' no, I can't do that. I only have thoughts of what I need to do against Chael."

Sonnen is a two-time Greco-Roman collegiate champion, an NCAA All-American and a U.S. Olympic alternate. Sonnen's likely to dictate the fight with his ability to take Maia down and put his opponent into positions uncomfortable spots.

Maia, though, is hardly bothered.

"There are a lot of aspects to fighting and wrestling is one of them," Maia said. "I know what to do. I have much respect for Chael and I know he's a great fighter. Wherever the fight takes us, I'll be comfortable and ready for it."