BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – When former UFC middleweight and welterweight title challenger Demian Maia submitted Lyman Good in short order earlier this year, he didn’t just snap a three-fight winning streak. He corrected a belief in himself that might have been broken.
Maia, 41, has flirted with retirement. Losses to Tyron Woodley, Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman raised questions about his ceiling in his later career, and personal projects tugged at him from the sidelines.
Asked whether his win proved he’s capable of continuing as much as it validated the talent of top-tier welterweights, all three of which have worn some version of a UFC belt, Maia agreed.
“At least I need to tell this history to myself to keep believing,” he told reporters, including MMA Junkie, prior to his UFC on ESPN 3 fight against Anthony Rocco Martin, which takes place Saturday at Target Center. “You never know. I’m going to keep fighting, and we, everybody, don’t know.”
Such are the fluctuations of the UFC’s business that a fighter down on his luck can become a contender in relatively short order, and that’s why Maia is choosing to put off the rest of his life.
“I need to fight, this fight, a couple more fights, to see what is the truth,” Maia said.
Check out the above video to hear Maia’s thoughts on his career.
For more on the UFC on ESPN 3, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
