"I think Charles is the favorite" - Demian Maia gives his take on Dustin Poirier vs. Charles Oliveira
Demian Maia is backing Charles Oliveira for his expected title defense against Dustin Poirier.
In an interview with Mike Swick, Maia stated that Charles Oliveira is the most well-rounded fighter in the lightweight division. The veteran noted that while Dustin Poirier will make for a tough opponent, 'Do Bronx' will secure the win owing to his diverse skillset.
"I know [Charles Oliveira] since he was a blue-belt fighter... He's pretty tough. Plus, his Muay Thai now is great... He is tall for the weight... He has a good guard... He is pretty focused and very experienced too. He's been in the UFC for like eleven years...[Dustin] Poirier is really really good, really tough. And I think of course he can win, but I think Charles is the favorite for this fight. But I'm not a good analyst, you know."
According to MMA journalist Aaron Bronsteter, Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier are expected to meet at UFC 269 in December.
LET'S GOOO!! 🔥 #UFC269
Source: @aaronbronsteter https://t.co/XfHrWicoDM
'The Diamond' is coming off the back of a TKO win by way of a doctor's stoppage over Conor McGregor. Meanwhile, Charles Oliveira last fought at UFC 262, where he won the UFC lightweight title with a victory over former Bellator champion Michael Chandler.
Charles Oliveira claims the lightweight title with a TKO of Michael Chandler! 😱
(via @ufc) https://t.co/2eru1M40SR
Demian Maia believes Charles Oliveira has the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu in MMA
Demian Maia is a fifth-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He has secured 14 submission victories in his MMA career so far and has numerous grappling accolades to his name.
The ace grappler, however, believes Charles Oliveira is presently the best jiu-jitsu practitioner in MMA. Maia reasoned that Oliveira's style is more fluid compared to his. According to the veteran, the 31-year-old can creatively secure submissions from any position.
"For MMA, I think for me it's Charles [Oliveria] now... I think he is great. His style is different than mine. I am more grinding and controlling, getting the position and making the guy give me position and he is more flashy in a good way. He is more like, he pulls out submissions from somewhere. My jiu-jitsu is based on fundamentals. It's based on defense, on positioning and then looking for the submission. And for him, it's more like, out of nowhere he gets some calf lock."
Watch Demian Maia's interview with Mike Swick below: