With title shot in sight, Maia has no need to reinvent himself
In a sport where versatility equals longevity, Demian Maia is proof there's still room for the "specialists" in MMA.
The Brazilian has won eight of 10 fights since moving down to welterweight in 2012, and will attempt to extend his current win streak to six when he faces Carlos Condit in the main event at UFC on FOX 21 in Vancouver on Saturday.
In Condit, the fourth-ranked Maia faces a proven finisher on both the feet and ground, but for the Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt, he merely gets a fresh set of limbs to contort as he'll aim to do what he does best: Lock in a submission.
While Maia's striking and wrestling, however improved, will forever play second fiddle to his world-class grappling skills, he's not only survived, but thrived - at 38 years of age, no less - in a sport that increasingly demands its fighters excel in every one of its facets.
When he first joined the UFC's middleweight division in late 2007, style clashes, whether striker on wrestler, grappler on boxer, etc., still reigned supreme. Maia wasted no time hitting his stride, submitting his first five opponents in the promotion, earning Submission of the Night honors against all but one.
After dropping a shot at the division title against all-time great Anderson Silva in a textbook style clash at UFC 112, Maia went 3-2 at 185 pounds, losing a decision to future champ Chris Weidman before trying his luck at welterweight.
The move was far from a reinvention, as the Brazilian stuck to his specialty and looked near invincible in his new division, manhandling veterans Dong Hyun Kim and Rick Story. UFC commentator Joe Rogan once said of Maia's victory over the latter: "He bullied Rick Story, and nobody bullies Rick Story." Indeed, he submitted the durable Story with a vicious neck crank in under three minutes.
After out-grappling Jon Fitch at UFC 156, Maia would go on to lose hard-fought decisions to Jake Shields and Rory MacDonald. Fast forward two years, Maia has handily beat the likes of Neil Magny, Gunnar Nelson, and Matt Brown, expecting his second career title shot should he vanquish the well-rounded Condit.
Call him a one-trick pony, but as his recent footage will make clear as day, Maia's jiu-jitsu is just that good. The Sao Paulo native began his training in the early nineties, a full decade before his first pro fight in 2001. He earned his black belt under coach Fabio Gurgel that same year. By the time he made his UFC debut six years later, Maia's grappling game was already the stuff of legend.
After his first cage fight, which he won by TKO in just 48 seconds, Maia wouldn't return to MMA until 2005, a full four years later. He was far from idle in his layoff, putting his B.J.J. to the test in several world championship tournaments instead.
A UFC strap would not only bring Maia's career resurgence full circle, it would make him one of the few career B.J.J. practitioners to earn MMA's highest honor, over 20 years after Royce Gracie introduced the craft to mainstream audiences in the promotion's first tournament.
Maia faces Condit at UFC on FOX 21 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Saturday, Aug. 27.