Don't have any source since it's just a rumor going on around the web but apparently this might be in the works.
If this happens, and I hope it does, it will be an AWESOME fight. I personally don't think Rory has the BJJ knowledge to keep up with Maia who has been an absolute terror at WW. His flips have been stunning.
If Maia can win in a demolishing fashion I think he might be next in line after Hendricks and I think he could give GSP a really competitive fight.
Maia is a bad man at 170, I think Maia/Tarec is the fight to make provided Hendricks wins but since my boy Carlos is about to cave his shit in Tarec should probably fight George's after he retires Diaz.
Not sure how good Rorys jujitsu is but I could see Maia grapple****ing him.
Maia's biggest problem at MW was that he lacked the strength advantage to take certain fighters down. He doesn't have that problem against smaller fighters at WW, unless you factor in MWs disguised as WWs - like Rory.
Maia is a beast at WW and I'd love to see him fight GSP, so there's no sense in having Rory derail that potential fight, especially as Rory is unlikely to fight GSP right now.
Love the fight. No one really expected Maia to take Fitch down so easily time after time....but he did. Rory is more athletic than Fitch, but Fitch is a strong WW, who has much more wrestling experience than Rory.
Rory annoys me, because if you have no intention of fighting the champ then why stay at the weight? He is a huge WW that will probably end up at 185 anyway as he gets bigger. Not sure what the UFC is trying to do by having him beat top guys and possible title contenders.
He is probably just deathly afraid if getting clowned by Anderson should he do well at 185. He will wait until ANderson retires/moves on to make his way to 185.
This is why it should have stayed hendriks vs ellenberger for the #1 contender. Now if condit wins on saturday and rory beats maia, who will fight gsp next?
Even if that situation occurs you still have several guys that could move up a fight a number one contenders fight.
Tarec Saffadiene - 4 fight win streak
Matt Brown - 4 fight win streak
John Hathaway - 3 fight win streak
Mike Pierce - 3 fight win streak
Mike Pyle - 3 fight win streak
Jason High - 7 fight win streak
You also have Kim, Ellenberger and Woodley who are likely close to fight for a title. The WW division isn't lacking for depth
Also I wouldn't count out a GSP/Condit II
I would have also thought that Maia wouldn't be able to take Rory down, until I saw him toy with Fitch...
This is gonna be Rory's first real test since Condit IMO...
I wasn't referencing a fight or scenario so much as Rory's one day saying, 'I'll fight GSP if the UFC asks me to'. He may have recanted, but at his previous post fight press conference, he didn't initially seem too opposed to the idea of fighting Georges. Like Jones, Rory wants to be the best. And unless he does indeed move up to MW, that means fighting GSP. He knows this but is keeping quiet so that he can milk Tristar before moving on.
I'd prefer they wait things out from next week's show. Diaz/Rory and Condit/Rory would both make sense. Condit/Rory was supposed to happen, and GSP and Diaz hate each other.
Such an interesting fight, Maia is a real beast at this weight (he smothered the man Fitch at his own game).
Rory is very young, athletic and powerful. Things to consider would be, how is his BJJ? His experience in precarious positions, etc.
There's no question of if, it's when Maia gets his back, can Rory defend?
Colour me intrigued :thumb01:
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