Maia Takes UFC 118 Slot Against Miranda

Subject: Maia Takes UFC 118 Slot Against Miranda Tue Aug 03, 2010 10:38 pm

Quote :: Demian Maia has found himself a new fight just as fast as he lost the last one.

The 32-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace will now face Mario Miranda at UFC 118 on Aug. 28 at the TD Garden in Boston.

Maia posted the news on his Twitter account on Tuesday, just days after learning that his headlining bout against Alan Belcher at UFC Fight Night 22 on Sept. 15 in Austin, Texas, had been scratched. Belcher withdrew from the bout on Saturday due to a detached retina.

On Tuesday, UFC officials moved another middleweight matchup between Nate Marquardt and Rousimar Palhares into the Sept. 15 slot, creating an opening for Maia-Miranda on the Aug. 28 roster.

Maia has lost only twice in the Octagon since his impressive promotional debut against Ryan Jensen at UFC 77 in October 2007 – suffering a 21-second knockout by Marquardt’s hands at UFC 102 in August 2009 and a decision loss to divisional king Anderson Silva at UFC 112 in April. Maia’s aggressive submission game has bested the likes of Jason MacDonald and No. 1 contender Chael Sonnen, who faces Silva at UFC 117 this Saturday in Oakland, Calif.

Miranda earned a second-round technical knockout over David Loiseau at UFC 115 last June in Vancouver, British Columbia, rebounding from a first-round TKO defeat against Gerald Harris at UFC Fight Night 21 last March. Harris is the only opponent to date that has stopped the 6-foot-3 Brazilian native.

Maia FTW!