WHAT¹S ON THE MINDS OF THE UFC FIGHT NIGHT: MAIA vs. CONDIT STARS?

Vancouver, Canada – As fight night approaches, here is what the stars of UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: MAIA vs. CONDIT have to say about Saturday night’s bouts:

Demian Maia: “I was sad I didn’t get a title shot, but this is the best fight I can have aside from a title fight. I like to keep my rhythm and keep fighting. I feel that’s important for an athlete, especially in MMA because we don’t fight every month. I can’t be frustrated about it because I have a fight coming up. If I win, then it’s between Stephen Thompson and me (for the next title shot). First of all, I need to win Saturday. Carlos Condit is one of the toughest tests in the welterweight division. He will keep pushing until the very last second.”

Carlos Condit: “It has been a fun challenge (preparing for Demian Maia). He’s an amazing grappler. He’s very good at what he does. He’s very well rounded even though he sticks to jiu-jitsu. It’s been fun preparing to solve a puzzle like Demian Maia. Once he hits the ground, he’s a straight killer. He’s been really good at taking the fight to where he wants it. I’ve been doing jiu-jitsu for a long time. It’s one of my favorite aspects of this sport. Obviously I’m not going to get in there and try to go eyeball-to-eyeball with Demian Maia at jiu-jitsu, but I have the skills to create opportunities for what I want to do.”

Anthony Pettis: “It feels good to be nervous again. It feels like old times again, because everything is attached to this fight. The guy I’m fighting is a former lightweight. I’ll have to wait and see exactly how it feels out there. I’m motivated, in shape and ready to go. I actually picked the guy. Everyone else was matched up and he was just sitting there ranked high. It made sense for me. If I come in here and make a big statement it puts me right back in line. You’ve got to put yourself in a horrible place to earn the best for yourself. I’m coming off three losses, my back’s against the wall, and now it’s time to shine.”

Charles Oliveira: “I think he’s coming down to featherweight because he wants to fly higher and take a different approach to his career. Unfortunately for him, he’s coming down and meeting me first. I do think he’s a tough fighter and that it’s a new start in his career. It’s all about whatever God has in store for you. In Vancouver, I think I’m going to come out on top.”

Paige VanZant: “I don’t feel like I was ever brought back. I don’t feel like I left. I just took a short break to do Dancing with the Stars. A lot of other fighters have longer layoffs than I did and they don’t get to have a huge blessing like that. Dancing with the Starshopefully brought a few new fans who will watch me fight Saturday. It is all about the fighting, but I also want to be successful at any other opportunity that comes my way. I’m a fighter, but I’m also a dancer and actress. I have all these other attributes I want to take advantage of. I feel like I’ll get that because of the UFC, but I’m not going to leave. I’m happy I’m back. Bec’s a great opponent. She’s definitely very tough. This has Fight of the Night potential. I like those kinds of fights. I want to put on a show for everybody because I’m a real fighter.”

Bec Rawlings: “I feel like Paige comes in very wild. She’s new and green in this sport. She just throws everything she knows. There isn’t a thought process to it. If I fight my fight, it plays into my strengths. She’s going to come in wild and I’m going to chin-check her. I feel like I’m one of the hardest hitters in the division. She hasn’t been hit by someone who hits as hard as I do. I’m going to shock her with my power.”

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^® will air live on FOX in the United States at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT on Saturday, August 27 with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX at 6 p.m. ET/ 3 p.m. PT. In Canada, the main card will be broadcast on CTV Two and TSN2, as well as RDS2 in Quebec, while the prelims will be on TSN2 and RDS2. The exclusive UFC FIGHT PASS^® bouts start at 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT.

About UFC^®

UFC^® is a premium global sports brand and the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Sao Paulo and Singapore, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 156 countries and territories to more than 1.1 billion TV households worldwide in 29 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.