Danny Segura: Diego Sanchez
Demian Maia doesn’t strike me as the type of guy to walk back on retirement.
If the Brazilian legend says he’ll hang up the gloves after the final fight on his UFC contract, then that’s likely the scenario that will play out.
Maia is the epitome of a seasoned UFC veteran. He’s been in the promotion since 2007 and managed to carve a road to a championship fight twice – and in two different weight classes. Maia holds many records in the UFC and has played a big role in the company’s history, always maintaining a top contender status in any weight class he’s competed.
From challenging for titles, stepping up on short-notice main event fights to save cards, using his name to help build upcoming contenders, and just being a good role model in the sport, Maia has done it all.
This is why he deserves to get the opponent, date and event of his interest for his final professional MMA bout. There are a few good options out there, but the [autotag]Diego Sanchez[/autotag] suggestion makes the most sense.
For starters, both have shown interest in fighting each other for quite some time. Sanchez is a veteran of the game, and despite his recent controversial training methods, the man still holds name value and finds himself with a 3-1 record in his last four fights. Not predicting anything here, but perhaps many would agree the Sanchez fight is a much more favorable matchup than the Donald Cerrone option.
It would be nice to see an ambassador of the sport like Maia walk away with a win. Fighting in the UFC means work and doesn’t guarantee a victory, but a bout with Sanchez would put Maia in a good position to walk out on top.
Maia also got dropped badly against Gilbert Burns at UFC Brasilia. Fighting a proficient striker next might not be the best idea. Sanchez promises action, but not trauma.
Next page – Nolan King: Max Griffin