Demian Maia shows confidence in fighting for the belt: “It has to be me”

D. Maia wants to fight for the welterweight belt in 2017. (Photo: Getty Images)

With his eye on the welterweight belt, Demian Maia There will be a special reason to watch UFC 205, an event that will take place next Saturday (12), in New York. The Brazilian, who will be present at the Madison Square Garden gym, will closely follow the fight between the champion Tyron woodley e Stephen Thompson, valid for the welterweight title, and hopes to receive the chance to face the winner of the duel.

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“I am very confident that I will win the next title shot. It has to be me. We have to keep in mind that this is a sport to continue growing. The balance between spectacle, entertainment and sport is very important. And, currently, I don't see anyone in the welterweight division deserving the next title shot more than me,” stated Demian, in an interview with the website 'Bloody Elbow' (USA).

In his defense, Demian, who is on a streak of six consecutive victories, cited the history of victories that elected the last challengers in the category.

“If you look at the last welterweight title fights, unless I'm mistaken, Woodley got the title shot after two straight wins. Condit won after one, Lawler with three consecutive victories and then with just two. Nick Diaz fought for the title after a loss. Rory with three victories... The only exceptions were Hendricks, who fought after six positive results in a row, and Wonderboy now, who won the deserved title shot after seven consecutive victories”, declared Maia.

At 39 years of age, Demian Maia He is the Brazilian with the most victories in UFC history, with 18 victories. In total, the jiu-jitsu specialist has a professional record with 24 positive results and six negative results.