Demian Maia Will Finish UFC Contract Before Retiring
Demian Maia suffered his third consecutive loss in the main event of UFC Fight Night 129 last night (May 19, 2018) from Santiago, Chile, as he dropped a unanimous decision defeat to rising contender Kamaru Usman.
At 40 years old, Maia’s best days are likely behind him, but the former multi-time UFC title challenger plans on finishing out his current contract before hanging up his gloves for good:
“I still have three fights under my contract,” Maia said during the post-event press conference. “I want to do those three fights. It was short notice for this fight, I only prepared for three weeks. And actually, my last three fights were against wrestlers. My game plan is to take the fighters down, so it was tough fights. But I still have the will to finish my contract.”
Maia, one of the best submission artists in the sport, has indeed had trouble dealing with some of the division’s top wrestlers in his most recent bouts, but he also accepted this bout against Usman on short notice.
Despite his recent skid, however, Maia appears to be optimistic and he remains focused on breaking UFC records, perhaps most notably the all-time wins record. Currently sitting at 19 career UFC victories, the Brazilian trails only Michael Bisping, Georges St. Pierre and Donald Cerrone, who all have 20.
“To be honest, I’m more focused on breaking records of finishes in the UFC. My last three fights were against top wrestlers like Woodley, Colby, and tonight Usman. So I’m going to keep concentrating on finishing my contract, my last three fights, and break those records.”
Who would you like to see Maia take on next?
