.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
Two of the premier submission fighters on the UFC roster, Demian Maia and Jake Shields, are set to lock horns next Wednesday night in a battle to move one step closer to championship contention.
UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Shields takes place in Barueri, Brazil, with FOX Sports 1 providing five hours of live fights, with preliminary card action beginning at 5:00 PM ET, followed by the six-fight main card at 7:00 PM ET.
A former middleweight title challenger, Maia (18-4) has earned three consecutive victories since relocating to the 170-pound ranks. Most recently, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt collected a dominant unanimous decision win over Jon Fitch at UFC 156 in February. Should he add a fourth straight win to his resume, Maia will find himself on the short list of potential future title challengers in the welterweight division.
Having previously fought for UFC welterweight gold, Shields (28-6-1, 1 NC) will be looking to put himself back in the thick of the chase by up-ending the surging Brazilian on his home turf. After a two-fight foray into the middleweight division, the former Elite XC and Strikeforce champion Shields returned to welterweight at UFC 161, collecting a split decision victory over Tyron Woodley.
In addition to the highly anticipated main event, UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Shields will also feature a number of emerging contenders and a collection of contests that should serve as an exciting lead-in to another action-packed episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate, which airs immediately following the live event at 10:00 PM ET.
The co-main event features Erick Silva (15-3, 1 NC) and Dong Hyun Kim (17-2-1, 1 NC) facing off in a welterweight class, while a third welterweight pairing pitting submission specialst Rousimar Palhares (23-5) making his divisional debut against underrated contender Mike Pierce (17-5).
Joining the trio of welterweight tilts on the main card are a pair of light heavyweight match-ups, as veteran Thiago Silva (15-3, 2 NC) and Matt Hamill (12-4) meet, while durable power punchers Fabio Maldonado (19-6) and Joey Beltran (14-8, 1 NC) clash what should be a Fight Of The Night contender. Kicking off the main card is a clash between Top-10-ranked bantamweights Raphael Assuncao (19-4) and T.J. Dillashaw (9-1).
Jon Anik and Kenny Florian will call the fights from Brazil.
UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Shields coverage begins Tuesday, Oct. 8 on FOX Sports 2 as Karyn Bryant hosts the live UFC Weigh-In show alongside analyst current UFC light heavyweight contender Chael Sonnen and former middleweight contender Brian Stann.
The fight day festivities begin with the UFC Fight Night Prefight Show on Wednesday, October 9 at 4:00 PM ET, hosted by Jay Glazer, and featuring Sonnen and Stann previewing the night’s action in the Octagon.
Additionally, FOX Sports’ Spanish-language network FOX Deportes has live coverage of the prelims and main card fights.
In the week leading up to fight night, FOXSports.com features extended coverage of UFC FIGHT NIGHT, including a live webcast of the Early Prelims, interviews with the main fighters and a live blog during the fights. Follow @UFConFOX on Twitter and use the hashtag #UFCFightNight for the latest updates.
