Demian Maia still continues to compete at a high level at 41 years of age, and he showcased that Saturday at UFC Fortaleza. After stopping Lyman Good at UFC Fortaleza in the first round with a rear naked choke, Demian Maia immediately had a name in mind for his next clock-halting performance, that of newcomer to the welterweight division, Michael Chiesa (Transcript via MMA Junkie):
“After he won against (Carlos) Condit, a lot of people went to my Twitter page and started to talk about him fighting me and I got interested,” Maia told MMAjunkie after his win over Good. “I’m not a guy who watches a lot of fights. I’ve been in this game for so many years that in my free time, I don’t watch a lot of fights. I do it for work when I’m interested in my opponents.”
Demian Maia is usually not the person to call his shots, but after being nudged by UFC fans on social media, Maia not only had the name but he also had the place:
“Curitiba would be great because the feeling is amazing,” Maia said. “I fought there with Matt Brown – 45,000 people in May 2016, almost three years ago. … It’s so cool to fight there in front of all those people. It’s a lot of pressure, but it’s a feeling I want to have one more time before I finish my career.”
Demian Maia had lost three consecutive fights prior to UFC Fortaleza. But each of those losses were to the top three fighters in the division at the moment: champion Tyron Woodley, and top two contenders Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman. After his performance at UFC Fortaleza, Maia proved that he is still a dangerous opponent, but one that the unranked Michael Chiesa may consider, as a victory over the #8 Maia would most likely earn the Washington native a home in the 10.
Would you be interested in watching a fight between Demian Maia and Michael Chiesa?
