Former UFC middleweight title contender, Demian Maia has admitted that a series of tactical mistakes cost him a big win over powerhouse wrestler, Mark Munoz at UFC 131 earlier this month, revealing he should never have abandoned the striking game that had been so successful in the first round. Speaking via Tatame Magazine, Maia said:
“I guess my first mistake was that my game plan of moving around a lot was working out and I changed it. I had the chance to knock him out on the first round, but I didn’t believe myself, I thought he was pretending to be hurt and, instead of keeping on doing it on the following rounds, I started trying to take him down on the second round. That was my first strategic mistake. The second one was to do something when I have agreed not to do it, which was to stand still and strike. I just had to move around, like I was doing on the first round and when it was working. I guess these two mistakes lead it to my defeat.”
“The first and most important one, is that I have to trust my striking power more, because I lacked this trust when I punched him and he felt it. I had to trust myself, go forwards, believe that it was indeed working. The second thing I’ve learned is that I don’t must use my Jiu-Jitsu in all bouts I’m at, because I guess I lost focus when I tried to change my game plan, which was working, so that I could use my Jiu-Jitsu on the second round.
“I’ve been training a lot, I like training and improving and that’s what I’ve always done since I joined Ultimate’s cast. I want to improve my striking game, and I guess the results are starting to show up. I just have to have a little more experience on that area.”
Maia looked much improved in the striking area of his game, dominating the first round with a series of punches and kicks that seemed to have Munoz hurt on more than one occasion. Can he make a final few tweaks and begin to climb the title ladder once again at 185 pounds?By Michael Pepper.
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