Tag: Demian Maia

Demian Maia ‘not officially retired,’ wants UFC to re-sign him for MMA sendoff

Demian Maia is still hopeful to fight one more time in MMA, but there is a key stipulation.

[autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag] is still hopeful to fight one more time in MMA, but there is a key stipulation.

Maia (28-11 MMA, 22-11 UFC), a former two-time UFC title challenger, is currently a free agent and not contractually linked to an organization. The 44-year-old is more than content with what he’s accomplished but would like to step inside the cage one last time to put a bow on his career.

The problem, however, is that Maia refuses to fight unless it’s for the UFC. He would like the promotion to ink him to at least a one-fight deal and allow him to close a historic career on his own terms.

“No, I’m not officially retired,” Maia told Luke Thomas of “Morning Kombat” in a recent interview. “I want to do one more fight in the UFC, but I don’t want to fight any other event, because UFC’s my house. It’s been my house for the last 15 years. So if I get another chance I would do one more fight there.”

Maia hasn’t competed since a unanimous decision loss to Belal Muhammad at UFC 263 last June. Prior to that, he was stopped by Gilbert Burns in a first-round TKO at UFC Fight Night 170 in March 2020, which was the UFC’s final event before the COVID-19 pandemic changed its event structure.

Back-to-back losses is not something Maia is eager to go out with. The Brazilian has racked up 22 victories during his UFC tenure, and the all-time record is 23. Maia said his intentions are known within the UFC brass. It just remains to be seen if he gets the opportunity to fulfill his goal.

If the UFC does oblige, Maia said he’ll be ready to take advantage.

“I still train MMA. I’m still doing some boxing and Thai-boxing with takedowns and this kind of thing, so I keep this sharp if I need to do one more fight,” Maia said. “But at the same time I’m focused a lot on sport jiu-jitsu again, because I want to compete more in this kind of rules.”

Maia will indeed compete more in grappling-based competitions. He’s currently scheduled to face former UFC and WEC champ Benson Henderson at Polaris 20 on June 25 in Wales.

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UFC 263 salaries: Israel Adesanya, Marvin Vettori lead payouts; Nate Diaz pockets $250,000

Six fighters took home six figures as a result of UFC 263 performances.

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] served as the UFC 263 poster boy atop the card and was compensated as such.

UFC 263 took place June 12 at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. The main card streamed on ESPN pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

MMA Junkie acquired the disclosed fighter salaries from the Arizona Department of Gaming, which oversaw the event, though win bonuses and discretionary bonuses were redacted from the public information request.

Adesanya led all contracted paydays, pocketing $500,000 of show money. His opponent, [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag], was the second-highest paid, and he took home $350,000.

Trailing the headliners in the payouts was [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag], who took home a disclosed purse of $250,000.

UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno earned $100,000 of show money, though his win bonus is unknown. Former champion Deiveson Figueiredo took home $210,000 contracted pay.

Also clearing the six-figure show-money mark was [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag], who made $110,000 of show money. Former UFC title challenger [autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag] earned $175,000.

Total disclosed pay for the show was $2,565,000.

Check out the list of UFC 263 athletes’ contracted paydays below:

  • Israel Adesanya ($500,000) def. Marvin Vettori ($350,000)
  • Brandon Moreno ($100,000) def. Deiveison Figueirdo ($210,000)
  • Leon Edwards ($110,000) def. Nate Diaz ($250,000)
  • Belal Muhammad ($80,000) def. Demian Maia ($175,000)
  • Paul Craig ($55,000) def. Jamahal Hill ($28,000)
  • Brad Riddell ($40,000) def. Drew Dober ($87,000)
  • Eryk Anders ($75,000) def. Darren Stewart ($45,000)
  • Lauren Murphy ($70,000) def. Joanne Calderwood ($51,000)
  • Movsar Evloev ($36,000) def. Hakeem Dawodu ($55,000)
  • Pannie Kianzad ($28,000) def. Alexis Davis ($43,000)
  • Terrance McKinney ($12,000) def. Matt Frevola ($23,000)
  • Steven Peterson ($23,000) def. Chase Hooper ($37,000)
  • Fares Ziam ($14,000) def. Luigi Vendramini ($15,000)
  • Carlos Felipe ($25,000) def. Jake Collier ($28,000)

The figures above do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, including the official UFC 263 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay. They also do not include any other “locker room” or special discretionary bonuses the UFC sometimes pays. They also do not include pay-per-view cuts that some top-level fighters receive.

For example, UFC officials also handed out a “Fight of the Night” bonus to Riddell and Dober – and two $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonuses to Moreno and Craig.

In other words, the above figures are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event.

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Demian Maia: I have one UFC fight left in me, and I want it to be Nate Diaz

It didn’t take long after Demian Maia’s UFC 263 loss this past Saturday for the speculation about his future to start up.

It didn’t take long after [autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag]’s UFC 263 loss this past Saturday for the speculation about his future to start up.

Maia (28-11 MMA, 22-11 UFC) dropped a unanimous decision to Belal Muhammad (19-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) in a welterweight fight on the main card at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. The setback gave the Brazilian back-to-back losses after a three-fight winning streak in 2019.

UFC president Dana White said after the event it’s likely the fight was Maia’s last one in the UFC, which would put an end to one of the longest tenures for a fighter in company history. Maia, famed for his Brazilian jiu-jitsu, is a two-time UFC title challenger at welterweight and middleweight. He debuted with the promotion at UFC 77 in 2007.

On Monday, he acknowledged in an Instagram post that his time as a fighter is coming to an end. He’ll turn 44 in November, but said he hopes the UFC will give him one final fight – and that he hopes that fight will be against another longtime face in the promotion: Nate Diaz.

Diaz (20-13 MMA, 15-11 UFC) dropped a decision to Leon Edwards (19-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) in a five-round fight right after Maia lost to Muhammad.

“Last night I tried hard and unfortunately wasn’t able to put my best performance,” Maia posted. “As frustrated as I am, I kept trying until the end and that’s in the past now. I’m already looking forward as I know time goes by fast, and I won’t be doing this much longer.

“@natediaz209 , I saw your quote on the press conference, and think you’re great too. You’re a great fighter who also represents Jiu Jitsu and you’re real, I respect that.

“Regardless of last night, I know I still have one fight left in me, and it’s no secret that I feel like @UFC is my home, where I want to finish my career.

“Now, I have no idea if they will give me another fight, but if they do, I would be honored to do my last MMA bout with you, someone who always come to fight, who represents BJJ and whom I respect.

“I have had a long career, fought pretty much everybody, and proudly represented Jiu Jitsu the best I could. If I have one more, I don’t want to waste it with someone who I don’t respect. So If you want it, and the UFC want to do it, it will happen, and it will be my last dance. Much respect. #keepingitreal #ufc”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQFw5afDm0s

Whether or not Maia can convince White to give him one more shot remains to be seen.

“I think that was his last fight (with the UFC),” White told MMA Junkie at the UFC 263 post-fight news conference. “It was the last fight on his deal. He’s 44 years old. He’s been so good at getting in there, securing the takedown, getting on top of people, and just strangling them or grabbing something or twisting it until you quit. He couldn’t get it done tonight. He’s 44 years old. He’s a great guy. He’s had a great career. Yes, I would say that’s probably it.”

Maia also appears to have some work to do to convince Diaz, too. The popular MMA anti-hero of sorts was asked at the UFC 263 pre-fight news conference if he’d be interested in matchup with Maia.

Diaz said since he’s from a similar jiu-jitsu background, he considers himself to be on the same team as Maia.

“I have a lot of respect for guys like that,” Diaz said. “… I’m not hunting or looking for those kinds of fights. I feel like I’m pretty much on the same side as them. I feel like I’m representing the same thing – jiu-jitsu background. I wouldn’t say I would like to fight Demian Maia. I think he’s great.”

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UFC 263 results: Belal Muhammad stops Maia’s takedowns, wins unanimous decision

Belal Muhammad showed off beautiful takedown defense at UFC 263.

[autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] continues to forge a path towards a title shot with a win over [autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag].

Muhammad (19-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) may have sent Maia (28-11 UFC, 22-11 UFC) into retirement after defending nearly all of the Brazilian’s takedown attempts over three rounds.

The welterweight bout was part of the UFC 263 main card at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. It aired on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+ and ahead of the main card on pay-per-view.

After a few striking exchanges at the beginning of the first round, Maia went to what he knows best and brought the fight to the mat. Muhammad did well to defend Maia from advancing and worked his way back to his feet without any damage.

For the remainder of the round, Maia continued to look for takedowns while Muhammad defended and landed punches when the two were separated.

To start the second round, Muhammad took the center of the cage and began popping out a quick jab to keep Maia at distance. After stopping a couple of takedown attempts, Muhammad’s confidence on the feet grew, and he began to turn up the volume on his striking.

In the final round, Maia attempted a takedown quickly, but once again, Muhammad’s takedown defense shined beautifully. Continuing to work behind his sharp left jab, Muhammad was content to pick off Maia at distance, while mixing in a kick or two. Maia never stopped trying to get the fight to the ground, but it just wasn’t going to happen for him on Saturday.

The judges scored the bout for Muhammad unanimously with scores of 30-27, 29-28, 29-28.

Since losing to Geoff Neal in 2019, Muhammad, 32, has put together a run of five wins with one no contest. After a bad eye poke by Leon Edwards, their main event fight in March was stopped early in the second round as Muhammad could not continue.

Muhammad has been eager to get back in the Octagon with Edwards to prove he can get the job done and solidify a bid for a title shot in the process.

Coming into Saturday’s bout, he believed a win over Maia would set him up for a No. 1 contender fight, which potentially could be a rematch against Edwards, depending on how his fight plays out against Nate Diaz.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 263 results include:

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Twitter Mailbag: Should Nate Diaz get next title shot if he beats Leon Edwards at UFC 263?

Nate Diaz next with a win? What’s his path to victory vs. Leon Edwards? Nolan King answers these and more.

Questions on your mind about recent happenings in the UFC or sport of MMA in general? MMA Junkie’s Twitter Mailbag is here – and this week, @mma_kings answers:

  • Should [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] be next in line for a welterweight title shot if he defeats [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] at UFC 263?
  • What is the path to victory for Diaz against Edwards?
  • Will UFC 263 mark [autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag]’s last fight?
  • Will [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag]’s takedown defense hold up vs. [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag]?
  • Who’s next at flyweight after [autotag]Deiveison Figueiredo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] 2?

Watch the video above for answers to those questions.

To ask a question of your own, follow @MMAjunkie on Twitter and let us know.

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Demian Maia vs. Belal Muhammad added to UFC 263

A welterweight matchup between Demian Maia and Belal Muhammad has been booked for June.

A welterweight matchup between [autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag] and [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] is the latest addition to UFC 263 in June.

Maia (28-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) and Muhammad (18-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) have agreed to the pairing, according to an initial report from ESPN and subsequent confirmation from Muhammad’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz of Dominance MMA (via Twitter):

UFC 263 takes place June 12 with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims expected on ESPN and ESPN+. A location and venue have not been announced.

Maia, 43, returns to action for the first time since March 2020, when he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Gilbert Burns at UFC Fight Night 170 in Brazil.

Muhammad, 32, meanwhile, will step back in the octagon following a no contest in his first UFC main event with Leon Edwards at UFC Fight Night 187 in March. The fight ended in the the second round when Edwards accidentally poked Muhammad in the eye.

The latest UFC 263 lineup now includes:

  • Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno – for flyweight title
  • Jake Collier vs. Carlos Felipe
  • Luigi Vendramini vs. Fares Ziam
  • Hakeem Dawodu vs. Movsar Evloev
  • Sijara Eubanks vs. Karol Rosa
  • Paul Craig vs. Jamahal Hill
  • Joanne Calderwood vs. Lauren Murphy
  • Demian Maia vs. Belal Muhammad

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Belal Muhammad still pushing for Leon Edwards rematch, but offers alternative main event option

Belal Muhammad thinks he’s earned a big fight, and has suggested Demian Maia as a potential alternative to Leon Edwards for his next outing.

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Regardless of what happens next, [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] thinks he’s earned a big fight.

Muhammad (18-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) had a massive opportunity to catapult himself into title contention when he stepped in to face [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] in the main event of UFC Fight Night 187, but the bout ended in unfortunate circumstances.

At the beginning of the second round, an inadvertent eye poke by Edwards rendered Muhammad unable to continue and the fight was ruled a no contest. The damage on Muhammad’s eye was very visible but, fortunately, he was only handed a 30-day medical suspension, and is ready to get the rematch booked in a couple of months’ time.

“I got Ramadan coming up in April,” Muhammad told MMA Junkie. “I’m still gonna be training during it, but I’m hoping maybe June. June works out perfectly for me. I literally just had three back-to-back camps in a row so it’s like I want that, but it’s one of those where if they’re willing to do the rematch and they want to do it sooner, I’m healthy enough to do it sooner.”

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With the ending providing no clarity for either fighter, Muhammad thinks it only makes sense to run things back. However, Edwards (18-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) has diverted his attention to Colby Covington. Muhammad said he isn’t impressed at the Brit’s change of focus.

“(What) was pissing me off more than anything was the way he was being so dismissive of it,” Muhammad said. “Like, ‘Oh yeah, I won the first round, all the other rounds would have been like that.’ No, it was one round and it’s a five-round fight. I’m literally a guy that picks it up as the fight goes on. His way of thinking is stupid honestly because if Dana White really said, ‘If Leon wins against Belal, he’s next in line for a title shot,’ so if I’m so easy, why don’t you just come and take this easy fight?

“It’s gonna be the same paycheck that you’re gonna get to fight somebody else. There’s literally nobody else for you to fight. None of these other guys are trying to fight you, so this fight makes sense. It has a story behind it now so even in the UFC’s eyes, they can just build it back up as that.”

If Muhammad doesn’t get the Edwards rematch, he’ll switch his attention to a future Hall of Famer. Having won eight of his past nine prior to his no contest with Edwards, Muhammad thinks he deserves a marquee fight and said he would love to lock horns with elite grappler [autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag] (28-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC).

“Obviously I want a big fight,” Muhammad said. “I feel like I still earned a main event spot just being willing to take a fight on three weeks’ notice. A guy I feel like would be a good main event spot with me is Demian Maia. He’s top 10 and I feel like I deserve somebody top 10 coming off four wins in a row, so I think that fight makes sense. I haven’t gone against a real grappler in the UFC yet, so fighting a grappler, it excites me. I wanna just show that side of me and to fight a legend like Demian Maia would be cool.”

UFC on ESPN 9 free fight: Relive Gilbert Burns’ first-round finish of Demian Maia in Brasilia

Gilbert Burns showed he’s not just a ground specialist when he dropped Demian Maia with a thunderous left hook.

[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] has proved he’s not just a ground specialist.

Burns (18-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) is one of the most accomplished grapplers in the UFC, but the noted submission artist has proven that he’s equally adept at knocking out his opponents, too.

That was especially evident when he was matched up with fellow jiu-jitsu ace and former two-time UFC title challenger [autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN+ 28 in March.

Confident he had the advantage on the feet, Burns started with a couple of strong leg kicks, followed by a snapping body kick. Maia pressured early, trying to close the gap, eventually working his way into a single leg takedown.

Burns immediately latched onto a leg lock, using the submission attempt to work his way back up, but Maia was able to grab a hold of his back and drag him back down to the mat.

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Maia briefly transitioned to mount, but Burns slid out and, just seconds later, Burns countered a Maia jab with a beautifully-timed left hook that sent Maia crashing to the canvas. Burns then followed up with an array of ground strikes until the referee stepped in and stopped the fight.

He will return to action this Saturday, when he faces former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in the UFC on ESPN 9 headliner. The event takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

Before he faces Woodley, relive Burn’s finish over Maia in the video above.

Video: Donald Cerrone leads the way as UFC celebrates winningest fighters in promotional history

Donald Cerrone heads a list of luminaries at the top of the UFC’s all-time wins list.

[autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] holds plenty of records in the UFC, and it’s no surprise that “Cowboy” is at the top of the UFC’s all-time wins list.

In a remarkable fighting career, the former UFC lightweight title challenger has competed in 35 UFC fights across the 155-pound and 170-pound divisions.

The always-active Cerrone (36-15 MMA, 23-12 UFC) holds wins over the likes of former UFC lightweight champions Benson Henderson and Eddie Alvarez, plus Edson Barboza and, most recently, Al Iaquinta.

Trailing Cerrone by just one win is former UFC middleweight and welterweight title challenger, [autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag], with now-retired former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag], former two-division champion [autotag]Georges St-Pierre[/autotag], reigning light heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] and lightweight stalwart [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] tied for third on the list.

Check out the latest video compilation published by the UFC showing the record holders for the most wins in promotional history.

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