Demian Maia May Retire When Current Contract Ends
Demian Maia was back in action on Saturday Night, facing Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC Fight Night Chile, where he dropped the bout via unanimous decision.
The Brazilian fighter recently negotiated a new four fight deal with the UFC and those could mark the final bouts in his professional MMA career.
“I’m actually doing very well, still – I feel very good,” Maia said to MMA Junkie. “But I also want time to do other things. Other projects, other things I have in mind. So that’s the reason for my plan, to do these four fights and possibly stop. I have other things, maybe teach seminars, I have affiliates, I have my gym (Vila da Luta, in his native Sao Paulo, Brazil). We’re doing a documentary with Combate and the UFC that I still can’t reveal details on, but it was really cool, travelling the world, talking about the history of fighting. And these are all things that I want to do. But I can’t do these things while fighting in the UFC, because as a high-level sport it’s naturally very demanding and it tales 100 percent focus. So you can’t do these things the way that you’d like to.”
Maia has been a professional MMA fighter for almost seventeen years, having previously challenged for the UFC Welterweight Title and the UFC Middleweight Title.
Just because Maia may stop fighting soon doesn’t mean there isn’t anything he wants to accomplish before its all over.
“There are a few records I want to break, like the most wins in UFC history, most finishes, goals like these,” Maia said. “But I think I want to do good fights, regardless of anything, to keep the legacy I built and continue my life after I’m done fighting.”
UFC Fight Night Chile took place on Saturday, May 19 from the Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile with Demian Maia and Kamaru Usman headlining.
