BJJ Scout - Add'l Woodley vs Maia Analysis

Once more with feeling. This and the DC/Jon Jones fight are what MMA is all about. Stylistically  compelling match-ups  to see who is truly the top dog in the world within this weight class. You cannt argue that any one other than these guys are it. I was not impressed with Woodley for the vast majority of rounds he fought against Thompson, but he is the champ and has dispatched many men along the way. Maia has submitted or utterly dominated everyone he's faced on his way to this title shot in his win streak. DC has only lost to Jon Jones and Jon Jones' only loss is actually a DQ due to that downward elbow rule and a controversial stoppage/ruling.

This is what we watch mixed martial arts to see. Period. 

BJJ Scout Breaks Down Woodley vs Maia

I think the timing Woodley demanded for this fight says a lot about his fear/respect for Maia's skillset. He knows that he's facing a guy with the grappling chops to put him where he for the most part has not been in his MMA career. On his back on the ground with Maia in his guard looking to pass and/or with a dominating finisher on his back with hooks firmly set.
If Woodley is going to fight Maia, he wants Maia to have to enter camp soon after a tough weight cut and have less time to game plan. Hey, battles are won before the day on the battlefield, right?

I fear this fight for Maia for the same reasons a lot of people do. Woodley will fight an atrociously boring fight (then later say people don't like him because they're racist or the UFC doesn't push him). Woodley backs up against anyone with reason to threaten him (cue the Thompson fight for roughly 8 1/2 rounds out of 10), and Maia's pressuring forward to chain takedowns leaves him visibly gassed as the fight wears on.

I think the Masvidal fight however was great prep for Maia for the type of fight he can expect: a fighter looking to pot shot him from the outside and avoid any real meaningful clinching....but can Woodley avoid backing into the cage for 5 rounds? Is he willing to put his back against the cage having seen how many guys from there had there back taken by Maia? Having followed Maia since he came to the UFC, I sincerely hope he can pull it off......it's going to be tough.