Coming off a big win against a very tough Jorge Masvidal, Demian Maia finds himself in that elite “title shot” conversation. While many fans of the UFC are enamored with the striking and highlight knockouts, Demian Maia’s climb back to the top contender spot is largely due to to his world class Jiu Jitsu game.
There was a time a few years back where Maia would actually throw strikes in a fight. I say it like that because the fighter we saw on Saturday night, and the fighter we’ve seen in his last few fights may as well not wear gloves … Throwing a punch for Maia is just a set up or an afterthought. He is as pure a Jiu Jitsu fighter the UFC has ever seen. Someone called him Royce Gracie 2.0 and I think that’s a fair comparison (minus the gi).
On Jiu Jitsu, Maia says:
“I have a mission to share jiu-jitsu with the world … I have something beautiful to share with people and a big platform, which is the UFC. I know that when I am fighting, there are many people who are influenced by me. So, I’ve got to use that to bring what I love to everyone.
“It’s a way to discover self-consciousness and to understand yourself better, to learn how to control yourself under pressure. All of these values, the things that are important in jiu-jitsu, are just as important in everyday life. This is something I can help give to other people.”
He loves this sport and we love him for it.
As for his fights, his purpose is to get in the cage, utilize his Jiu Jitsu game to take his opponent down, take their back and choke them out. It’s that simple. Check out the two breakdown videos from BJJ Scout featuring Maia and his world class Jiu Jitsu.
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Andy Gonzalez is a coach at Aces Jiu Jitsu Club. He has earned his BJJ Brown Belt under 2nd Degree Black Belt, Professor Mikal Abdullah. Follow Andy on Twitter at @GoGoGonzilla
Andy lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Amanda and their 3 beautiful children. Andy is also the father of a Marine who is honorably serving in the United States Marine Corps.