FloCombat Weekly Q & A: Demian Maia
FloCombat Weekly Q & A: Demian Maia
By Tony ReidFloCombat: This Saturday, you're in the featured prelim fight for UFC 198 on FOX Sports 1. You're facing Matt Brown, who's as gritty and tough a
By Tony Reid
FloCombat: This Saturday, you're in the featured prelim fight for UFC 198 on FOX Sports 1. You're facing Matt Brown, who's as gritty and tough as they come. He said he wanted a huge test, and the UFC offered you. What are your thoughts on Matt, his skill set and how you'll deal with 'The Immortal' this weekend?
Demian Maia: It’s great to hear that. At the same time, I worry because he's really taking this challenge seriously. I need to be ready, and I am ready. It’s going to be a great fight.
When asked about your favorite technique, your response was submitting your opponent without him hurting you or you hurting him. That’s the basis and foundation of the gentle art of Jiu-Jitsu. Can you tell us more about your mindset when you step into the Octagon?
That’s just the way I train, but I know Matt Brown is different. He's looking to hurt his opponent in every second of every round. That’s why this fight will be a clash of styles.
You mentioned that, at some point, you began to feel like you were a gatekeeper or stepping stone within the organization. That’s clearly not your intent. With a win over Matt Brown on Saturday, how much closer does that put you toward title contention in the UFC welterweight division?
I think this will be the win I've needed. I've been waiting a long time in the division, and I have to put that aside and not think about it Saturday. The important thing is staying focused on the fight Saturday and thinking about the rest afterward.
You're widely considered the greatest grappler and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner in the sport of MMA today. What are your thoughts when so many elite athletes and high-level martial artists hold you in such high regard?
I’m very, very, very happy about that. I've been working a lot on it. As a Jiu-Jitsu fighter, it’s tough to not lose your focus and not change your thinking about other things involved in fighting. Sometimes, the crowd wants more striking. To keep on your path and your belief in the art isn't easy. I’m glad it’s paying off.
Royce Gracie was an early influence on you, and you count Rickson Gracie as a hero. But in the current crop of fighters, whose Jiu-Jitsu are you a fan of?
I really admire a few guys fighting on this card Saturday night from the same generation I'm from. I really admire Jacare. I had the opportunity to fight him twice: once in the finals of ADCC, and once in the World Cup; both in 2005. He was considered the prodigy, and the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter in the world. He is a great fighter. There are so many guys I admire, though.
As a child, you trained in other martial arts disciplines, including Judo and Karate. When did you know that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was the area you could and would excel at?
When I first saw a live Vale Tudo fight in Brazil—late 1991 or early 1992. I saw how effective [BJJ] was. I trained a little bit with some friends, and right away, I fell in love with the art. You can spar every day, full-power, and not get hurt. That’s nice. It became like a game. How many steps can you get in front of your opponent? That makes the difference. It's just fun to train. That’s why I fell in love with it.
What's the MMA match from your career that you're most proud of?
There are many fights I like very much. Some fights that I won; some fights that I lost. I like my fight against Chael Sonnen. I like my fight against Rory MacDonald—that was a war. My last fight was nice, because I fought one of the best Jiu-Jitsu fighters I ever fought in MMA.
The world knows about your immense skill set, but the fight with Gunnar Nelson just showed the separation between you and the next guy in line as far as grappling—it blew everyone away. What's your takeaway from that fight with Gunni?
The takeaway is more trust in my Jiu Jitsu, you know? I had trust in it, but was always like “Hmm, this guy is good.” You always wonder. I've adapted my Jiu-Jitsu to MMA pretty well. Sometimes, I go into fights against high-level fighters, and its tough when you put in the punches, the cage, the takedowns and the complete MMA game. For Jiu-Jitsu, I was able to adapt it well to this MMA game.
You have a degree in journalism. With MMA's expansion, do you feel you have a future career in media once your fighting career is over?
Yeah. I don’t know if it will be within MMA, but something to do with a wider range of sports. I will definitely think about it in a couple of years.
FloCombat: This Saturday, you're in the featured prelim fight for UFC 198 on FOX Sports 1. You're facing Matt Brown, who's as gritty and tough as they come. He said he wanted a huge test, and the UFC offered you. What are your thoughts on Matt, his skill set and how you'll deal with 'The Immortal' this weekend?
Demian Maia: It’s great to hear that. At the same time, I worry because he's really taking this challenge seriously. I need to be ready, and I am ready. It’s going to be a great fight.
When asked about your favorite technique, your response was submitting your opponent without him hurting you or you hurting him. That’s the basis and foundation of the gentle art of Jiu-Jitsu. Can you tell us more about your mindset when you step into the Octagon?
That’s just the way I train, but I know Matt Brown is different. He's looking to hurt his opponent in every second of every round. That’s why this fight will be a clash of styles.
You mentioned that, at some point, you began to feel like you were a gatekeeper or stepping stone within the organization. That’s clearly not your intent. With a win over Matt Brown on Saturday, how much closer does that put you toward title contention in the UFC welterweight division?
I think this will be the win I've needed. I've been waiting a long time in the division, and I have to put that aside and not think about it Saturday. The important thing is staying focused on the fight Saturday and thinking about the rest afterward.
You're widely considered the greatest grappler and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner in the sport of MMA today. What are your thoughts when so many elite athletes and high-level martial artists hold you in such high regard?
I’m very, very, very happy about that. I've been working a lot on it. As a Jiu-Jitsu fighter, it’s tough to not lose your focus and not change your thinking about other things involved in fighting. Sometimes, the crowd wants more striking. To keep on your path and your belief in the art isn't easy. I’m glad it’s paying off.
Royce Gracie was an early influence on you, and you count Rickson Gracie as a hero. But in the current crop of fighters, whose Jiu-Jitsu are you a fan of?
I really admire a few guys fighting on this card Saturday night from the same generation I'm from. I really admire Jacare. I had the opportunity to fight him twice: once in the finals of ADCC, and once in the World Cup; both in 2005. He was considered the prodigy, and the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter in the world. He is a great fighter. There are so many guys I admire, though.
As a child, you trained in other martial arts disciplines, including Judo and Karate. When did you know that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was the area you could and would excel at?
When I first saw a live Vale Tudo fight in Brazil—late 1991 or early 1992. I saw how effective [BJJ] was. I trained a little bit with some friends, and right away, I fell in love with the art. You can spar every day, full-power, and not get hurt. That’s nice. It became like a game. How many steps can you get in front of your opponent? That makes the difference. It's just fun to train. That’s why I fell in love with it.
What's the MMA match from your career that you're most proud of?
There are many fights I like very much. Some fights that I won; some fights that I lost. I like my fight against Chael Sonnen. I like my fight against Rory MacDonald—that was a war. My last fight was nice, because I fought one of the best Jiu-Jitsu fighters I ever fought in MMA.
The world knows about your immense skill set, but the fight with Gunnar Nelson just showed the separation between you and the next guy in line as far as grappling—it blew everyone away. What's your takeaway from that fight with Gunni?
The takeaway is more trust in my Jiu Jitsu, you know? I had trust in it, but was always like “Hmm, this guy is good.” You always wonder. I've adapted my Jiu-Jitsu to MMA pretty well. Sometimes, I go into fights against high-level fighters, and its tough when you put in the punches, the cage, the takedowns and the complete MMA game. For Jiu-Jitsu, I was able to adapt it well to this MMA game.
You have a degree in journalism. With MMA's expansion, do you feel you have a future career in media once your fighting career is over?
Yeah. I don’t know if it will be within MMA, but something to do with a wider range of sports. I will definitely think about it in a couple of years.