Demian Maia: The path to Anderson Silva begins at UFC 102 against Nate Marquardt

“I think [Marquardt is] great. It’s a great fight for me, a great test and a match that will help build me. He’s a real well-rounded fighter, good at everything. A really aggressive fighter. I believe the winner of this match will become a candidate for Anderson (Silva). I’ll train like I always do. I start in Brazil and finish up in the United States, with Rafael Alejarra and Wanderlei (Silva).”

– Undefeated Brazlian jiu-jitsu wizard Demian Maia feels that the winner of his bout with top ranked middleweight Nate Marquardt at UFC 102 will earn a shot at the 185-pound crown. However, they may have to get in line and wait behind the winner of Dan Henderson vs. Michal Bisping — the two coaches from The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) that are set to square off at UFC 100 on July 11. It appears that there may be a long line forming, but Maia is certainly deserving. But will the UFC shy away from Silva vs. Maia based on “The Spider’s” performance against Thales Leites?