D. Maia is expected to retire in 2019 after a 12-year UFC career. Photo: Reproduction/Youtube ufc
Close to completing 18 years in MMA, the story of Demian Maia in sport is close to the end. At 41 years old, the São Paulo native plans to fight in November, in UFC Sao Paulo and now looks at his possible opponent: Diego Sanchez. After triumphing in UFC Minneapolis about Anthony Rocco, last Saturday (29), in the United States, the athlete revealed that he should hang up his gloves after the event in Brazil.
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“I would like to fight in São Paulo, in November. I hope you are against Diego Sanchez, since he has challenged me. It would be a good fight and, perhaps, my last. I don’t know”, declared Maia.
The athlete, however, does not confirm his retirement after the event in Brazil. Demian stated that if he doesn't hang up his gloves in November, he won't play much more in 2020.
“After this (UFC Sao Paulo), maybe I'll do a couple more. But, for sure, this year or next year, I will stop and retire. I feel very good. That's why I continue acting. Because I love what I do. If I feel like my body can’t do it anymore, I’ll stop”, said the São Paulo native. “I only think about stopping because I have other projects in mind. That alone makes me want to leave”, confessed the fighter.
Sanchez, 37 years old, is coming off two consecutive victories within the company. His last fight took place in March this year, when he defeated the North American Mickey gall, at UFC 235.
In his last commitment, Demian managed to overcome an opponent 12 years younger. With his jiu-jitsu always sharp, the Brazilian found no difficulty in imposing his takedowns on his opponent and, with some ease, managed to score over his opponent during two rounds and manage in the last, even getting scared at the end.
“Rocco is very tough. I didn't expect him to be so good on the bars with his submissions on the ground. It was difficult to find a way to execute the submission, but I managed to take him down and perform my transitions. He was very smart in defending my techniques and he was able to get up and try to make me fight standing up”, concluded the fighter.
Maia, today, is not experiencing her peak within the UFC. The athlete is currently ranked 12th in the welterweight rankings (up to 77kg). His best moments in the company came in title fights. At middleweight (up to 83,9kg), the São Paulo native faced Anderson Silva, in 2010, when 'Spider' was the biggest name in Ultimate. In a very controversial fight, Maia was defeated on points by Silva, who scored the necessary points over his compatriot and, for the rest of the fight, circulated around the octagon, generating the anger of the public present.
Demian also had the opportunity to compete for the welterweight title, when he faced the then champion Tyron woodley, in July 2017. On that occasion, the Brazilian was also defeated by points, but continued to be highly respected within the UFC for his remarkable quality in jiu-jitsu. For many, the São Paulo native is the greatest athlete in the history of the 'gentle art' of Ultimate.
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