Mixed martial arts veteran Marvin Eastman (14-7-1) will take on a relative newcomer to the sport, Demian Maia (5-0), in a middleweight bout at UFC 77 on October 20 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
UFCmania.com received a message earlier today from the "Beastman" confirming the showdown at the U.S. Bank Arena.
Eastman was tentatively scheduled to face Drew McFedries on the same night in "The Buckeye State." He recently revealed, however, that he was moved to the UFC 76 show in September. Now, he's back on the Ohio card against a different opponent.
Strange but true.
Maia -- the current Abu Dahbi Combat Club (ADCC) U87Kg Champion -- recently told AdCombat.com that he had inked a deal with the UFC.
Here's a snip from the Brazilian grappler:
"I am so happy that I signed with U.F.C. This event was very influential in me pursuing a fighting career and Jiu-Jitsu. i already trained karate back in the days and watching Royce Gracie fighting in U.F.C. I inspired me to this career. I am thankful to the Fertitta Brothers, Dana White and Joe Silva for the opportunity and their confidence in me. I promise to give my all to the event and the pursuit of the belt ...."
Maia is up against a tough opponent in Eastman, who has a very deceptive record. Not to mention he's going to be enormous for 185 pounds (he was a shredded 205-pounder up until this fight).
Eastman has strong wrestling skills, which he will need to leverage to keep this fight upright -- he does not want to get into a jiu-jitsu battle with Maia.
For the latest UFC 77 fight card click here.
Here are some MMA highlights of Maia (whose jiu-jitsu skills are off the charts -- this video does those skills no justice):
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