If everything goes as planned, UFC 205 among many other blockbuster fights, will feature UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley making the first defense of his newly won title against clear-cut number one contender Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, however if Wonderboy isn’t able to make it to the Octagon on November 12th, Demian Maia will apparently be ready to jump on the opportunity.
Maia’s manager, Eduardo Alonso, noted that after his fighters quick win over former interim UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit, they will be waiting on standby to fill-in for Wonderboy should he get injured in training as fighters often do during the build-up to fights, especially important fights such as once in a lifetime title opportunities.
“A title shot is a unique opportunity you don’t turn down,” Maia’s manager Eduardo Alonso told MMAFighting.com. “But if any injury happens to ‘Wonderboy’ and we get a call, unless Demian is injured, we will take the opportunity because you never know what tomorrow will bring. We see what happened to ‘Jacare’ [Souza], for an example, who unfortunately got injured and couldn’t get his chance. [Michael] Bisping got the chance and became champion, and ‘Jacare’ is still going after his opportunity. You never know what will happen tomorrow. An opportunity like this, you say yes and do your best.”
In the event that Thompson does make it the cage at the event in Madison Square Garden in New York City in November, Maia will be looking to fight whoever emerges from the Woodley-Thompson fight as the UFC Welterweight Champion.
“The idea now is to face the winner of this fight,” Alonso said. “Demian deserved a title shot already, and it’s pretty obvious after this fight that he’s the next in line. I don’t see anyone deserving it more than him. We know that deserving is something relative in the sport today, but we have to find a balance between spectacle and sport. You have to aim for long term credibility as any other sports league, and you need to use meritocracy as one of your criteria.
“You don’t change the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals or the Champions League final simply because one team is more popular or less popular. You set objective criteria. After ‘Wonderboy’ vs. Tyron Woodley, Demian is the next in line no matter what happens in future fights. I believe he will have this opportunity. He deserves it.”
UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor is scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 12th at the world-famous Madison Square Garden arena in New York City. Join us here at MMANews.com on 11/12 for live coverage of the UFC 205 pay-per-view!
