D. Maia wants to fight for the welterweight belt in 2017. (Photo: Getty Images)
As usual, Demian Maia He used all his class and education to justify his current moment in the UFC. Number 3 in the welterweight rankings and close to the line to fight for the belt, according to Dana White, president of the organization, the Brazilian has been accused of denying opponents before the title fight.
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Through a long text posted on a social network, Demian, who has not stepped into the octagon since August 2016, when he finished Carlos Condit in less than three minutes, he justified himself by claiming that, as we are just a few weeks away from the rematch between Tyron woodley e Stephen Thompson, prefers to wait for the duel, as he believes he will be confirmed as the next challenger for the title.
“If the next title fight was in months, I could understand any urgency or a scenario where people feel other guys have to have a chance to claim their spot as the next immediate challenger. But the title fight will take place practically within a month, so for me it seems natural to wait and finally have my chance to fight for the belt, especially because that's what really matters to me”, declared Demian.
Check out the fighter's outburst, translated in full:
“I've been reading a lot of things on the internet lately, a lot of speculation, and I've been approached by many members of the press asking for an interview because of this, so I decided to come here and express my opinion directly. That way, everyone will hear from me and know what has been going on.
When Dana White said, at the press conference after UFC New York, after Wonderboy and Woodley fought to a draw for the welterweight title, that I would have the next title shot if I wanted to wait or that I could face For someone else, what I understood was that I had earned my chance at the title and that it would happen sooner or later. The choice to remain active or not was mine.
I have the greatest respect for Dana. I trust him and I saw how Woodley could have waited for more than a year to get his shot at the title, the same one that ended up crowning him champion. So why would I believe it would be totally different for me?
This year I celebrate 10 years in the UFC and I'm very proud of it. I am the Brazilian fighter with the most victories inside the Octagon in history, which also makes me very proud. It is an honor to represent the martial art that became my own life: Brazilian jiu-jitsu. During all this time in the UFC, my dream and objective has always been to become champion.
Everyone knows that money is necessary and important, but that was never the reason I got out of bed to train every morning. Competing, testing myself, being tested at my best, representing what I love and trying my best to become UFC champion is what keeps me going. Because of that, there is no other fight that has more appeal to me than a title fight right now. Not even a “money fight”, which is what seems to be the feeling of the moment.
Since moving down to welterweight, I've been working hard to climb the rankings, and it's been tough. I had victories that didn't move me up a single position. I fought guys above and below me in the rankings, guys with winning streaks, and out of 11 fights at welterweight, with the majority being against guys in the Top 15 or Top 10, I won nine by submission or by completely dominating my opponent. My only two losses were against guys with impressive records and either by split decision or a fight that would earn me the “Fight of the Night” bonus. I currently have a six-fight winning streak, the longest winning streak in the division. My last victory was in the first round against a former champion, who had just fought for the belt in his last fight and left with many pointing him out as the winner.
After this welterweight journey, it was natural for me to consider Dana's words justified, and the feedback I got from fans everywhere I went told me that I had earned my title shot, no matter what.
During the course of my journey through the division, I have seen other fighters receive title shots with records of one to three wins in a row. I've even seen people receive a title shot after losing. The only exceptions were Hendricks, in his first title fight, and Wonderboy, and I always said publicly that I understood that they were the legitimate challengers.
During that time, I accepted fights like the one against Condit, and as an athlete, I understood and agreed with the choices and decisions. Even though I was naturally frustrated, I understood that a draw between Wonderboy and Woodley would guarantee a rematch, even though I had a different opinion of that fight. However, with four weeks until the fight between them, why can't I get my title shot after they fight? If others had their opportunities with fewer victories in a row or even in close fights?
If the next title fight was in months, I could understand any urgency or a scenario where people feel like other guys have to have a chance to claim their spot as the next immediate challenger. But the title fight will take place practically within a month, so for me it seems natural to wait and finally get my shot at the belt, especially since that's what really matters to me.
I've seen a lot of people justify my lack of title chances so far because I'm not as popular as other guys, or because I'm not as outrageous, or because of my fighting style. Sometimes perception is very subjective and when you see the pay-per-view numbers for many cards headlined by welterweight champions over the years, it's hard to believe that my title shot would be much worse. than many of these fights that have already been scheduled. Furthermore, when we look at the social media numbers of many division challengers and mine, you don't see much of a difference to justify this truth. Not to mention that the biggest star in the welterweight division that the UFC has had in recent years was far from being outrageous, nor was he an excellent striker.
I respect Masvidal, Lawler and every MMA fighter who enters the octagon or a ring. It's not easy and it brings a lot more pressure than most people realize. Anyone who makes a living from this and reaches this level deserves a lot of respect. I have fought for many years at the top of the middleweight and welterweight division, including perhaps the best of all time in his prime, and have never had any problems facing anyone at the right time. I would face anyone at welterweight for the belt right now, be it interim or permanent, and when I was offered the fight against Masvidal, we explained our reasons why we were frustrated and why we wanted to wait for the title shot. Since the proposed card could impact us financially, let's say we could have discussed it and reached a decision. We hadn't even said “no” yet when news started spreading that we had turned down the fight. Whatever, because it wasn't what we had in mind anyway.
The reasons that led us to think and explain our frustrations are obvious, I think, and I have already talked about several of the ones mentioned above. I've been doing this for a long time and my dream remains the same. There's nothing I want more right now than to fight for that belt. As the rematch is happening in a few weeks, I hope I didn't get it wrong and that I'm a few weeks away from getting my chance.
All I want is an opportunity that others have already had, often doing much less to receive that chance. After all, this is a sport and even if it is entertainment, there is no reason why it can't be treated as a sport and still entertain people.
Whatever happens next, I trust Dana and the UFC, a place I have called home for the last 10 years, and I will continue on my path to be the best I can be. In life you can't be sure when you will achieve, so you need to value your journey. My journey continues, and we are learning something new every day.”
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