Preview: UFC on Fox 21 ‘Maia vs. Condit’

The stakes are undeniably high for two accomplished Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweights who have lingered in title contention late in their careers.Demian Maia will meet former World Extreme Cagefighting champion Carlos Condit in the UFC on Fox 21 main event this Saturday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. In the featherweight co-headliner, Roufusport star Anthony Pettis makes his 145-pound debut opposite Charles Oliveira. The rest of the four-fight main card features a women’s strawweight clash pairing Paige VanZant with Bec Rawlings and a lightweight rematch pitting Jim Miller against Joe Lauzon. Let us take a closer look at each UFC on Fox 21 matchup, with analysis and picks:Welterweights Demian Maia (23-6) vs. Carlos Condit (30-9)THE MATCHUP: After his thrilling and controversial loss to Robbie Lawler on Jan. 2, Condit was not keen to accept any fight other than a rematch. Even with that on the line, he entertained thoughts of retirement. After 14 years and 39 fights, many of them gutsy wars of attrition, who could blame him? It is something of a surprise then that Condit accepted a fight with Maia less than half a year later. Maia is something of a trap fight for Condit, as he is for all welterweight contenders. The 38 year-old is widely regarded as the best grappler in the sport, a stifling jiu-jitsu specialist who excels at holding down people and submitting them. Maia’s jiu-jitsu is complemented by an excellent wrestling game. While not one for explosive shots, Maia has an uncanny ability to drag opponents into his world. He chains together his takedowns …

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