D. Maia (photo) bets on T. Woodley's victory over G. Durinho in the UFC Las Vegas. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @demianmaia
The Brazilian Gilbert Durinho He is just over four days away from the commitment that could put him closer than ever to a title shot. At the UFC Las Vegas, the athlete will face the former welterweight champion (up to 77kg.), Tyron woodley and ended up being considered an underdog by his last opponent in the octagon. MMA icon, Demian Maia, who has already faced both, bet on the North American in this weekend's main fight and justified his choice, in an interview with 'Combate'.
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“I think Woodley is the favorite for the simple fact that his hand is very heavy. Durinho is a guy who exposes himself a little in the stand-up game, he also has a heavy hand, so much so that he beat me that way, but not as heavy as Woodley's. I think that, if he doesn't play that game of putting him down a lot, it will be difficult to put Woodley down. It will end up becoming a 'switch' fight. A fight is a fight, Durinho will knock out, the guys will insult me a lot, but, in my analysis, the chance is greater that Woodley will knock out. The hand is heavier”, explained Maia.
Demian traded forces against Tyron in July 2017, when he challenged the American for the welterweight title. At the time, the Brazilian ended up being unable to impose his game and was defeated by unanimous decision from the judges. Almost three years have passed since then and, today, Woodley no longer holds the title. Thinking that the fighter has not performed for over a year, Maia also analyzed how the fighter will present himself for the confrontation against an opponent who is in great form.
“There’s that thing: how will Woodley be? How is his training going during all this restriction? How is Durinho doing too? You never know how they will come to fight. It's another thing that is fundamentally important and people don't see it. You give an opinion by analyzing numbers, but, in the end, you have no way of knowing if the guy has an injury, if the guy is fed up, if he had a problem”, said Demian before completing.
“If they both come in well trained, I think the tendency is for Woodley to win because he will end up putting on a tougher hand and I think that, even if he doesn't knock him out, he could inhibit Durinho”, he concluded.
Currently, Tyron is 38 years old and had, in his last performance, a serious setback for Kamaru Usman, which cost him the category belt. This weekend, the North American will complete his 25th appearance as a professional in MMA.
Back at welterweight less than a year ago, Gilbert is now considered one of the main names in the group. After beating Maia, in March this year, the Niteroi native occupied sixth place in the ranking and, if he wins on Saturday, he could occupy the position of number one challenger in the category.
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