Middleweight submission practitioners Demian Maia and Dan Miller are in talks to square off in a pivotal showdown at UFC 109 in February. With both fighters coming off of setbacks, each will be looking to resume their climb to the top of the division.

The fight is a very interesting one because Maia and Miller are both excellent on the ground, but Miller’s wrestling and striking could prove to be the difference. Both aim to capture UFC title gold and this fight will determine which one will take a big step forward.

Maia (11-1-0) was seemingly next in line to challenge UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva, but was dispatched in brutal fashion by former title challenger Nate “The Great” Marquardt at UFC 102 in August.

With eight submission victories to date, Maia is regarded by many as one of the best – if not the best – submission fighters in all of mixed martial arts. However, as the 21-second fight with Marquardt showed, his striking still needs refining.

Miller (11-2-0, 1 NC), the final IFL Middleweight Champion, is coming off of a one-sided decision loss to talented wrestler Chael Sonnen at UFC 98. Sonnen had lost to Maia in his previous outing and the win over Miller was considered to be a significant upset by some.

Much like Maia, Miller is excellent at working his submission game and has seven career victories by tapout. While his ground skills are not at the level of Maia’s, Miller’s boxing and wrestling are considerably better.

Miller’s best chance for a victory will be in keeping the fight on the feet and using his wrestling to defend takedown attempts from Maia. If Maia is unable to get Miller to the ground, a repeat of the Marquardt one-punch KO is not out of the question.

Both fighters have very bright futures in the division, but this will determine which one continues their rise up the ranks.

UFC 109 is set for February 6, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.