Demian Maia Considering Move To Welterweight

[No More Sorrow]

Demian Maia does not go through a good phase in the UFC, with ups and downs in his eight last bouts, and a solution might be dropping to the welterweight division.

The Jiu Jitsu black belt told TATAME he has not decided what will come next, but the fact he usually weights only 8lbs more than his division limit might be an important factor to be consider.

“It has not been decided yet. I’ve always said it was a possibility… I usually have to make much effort to keep 198lbs and I gotta eat a lot not to lose weight because it’s easy for meâ€, affirmed the athlete.

Have you decided if you’ll drop or not?

It has not been decided yet. I’ve always said it was a possibility. I’m getting healed from my hand (hand surgery), which is almost good. I’m taking a week off because it’s been a while since I haven’t taken some time to rest.

How much do you regularly weigh?

Now that I’m not training and eating what I want I weight 194lbs, more or less.

When you are training, how much do you weigh?

I usually have to make much effort to keep 198lbs and I gotta eat a lot not to lose weight because it’s easy for me. When it’s close to the fight I cut weight and leave the last 11, 13lbs to lose at the very end.

Have you talked to UFC guys about that possibility?

No, not yet.

How it is the recovery of the hand? It comes back to train in how much time?

I’ll be back in four weeks, maybe less. When I left the hospital it seemed like I had never gone through surgery. And I’ve never gone surgery due to a broken hand.

Do you remember the exact moment you broke your hand?

Man, I guess it was when I fit a “mata-cobra†and it caught his head on the first or second rounds. I guess it was there, but I’m not sure.

Guy seems to have endurance issues at 185, and according to him he's only cutting 13 or 14 lbs now to make weight at Middleweight so I gotta say I'm not too optimistic to see him cut 20+ pounds to make weight at Welterweight.

 

[The Cork]

Instead of dropping to welter, he should drop out the UFC.

Guy is boring as hell.

 

[No More Sorrow]

Eh, i don't mind him really. He's not one of my favorite fighters in the UFC though, either way i don't think moving to welterweight is going to do him any good.

 

[The Cork]

I just cant take him seriously after the non effort he put in against Anderson.

Silva basically bitch-slapped him around at will. It was like seeing a guy get bullied at school by someone 5 yrs older.

 

[No More Sorrow]

Ah, well i can understand that. He looked like shit in that fight and even in his last fight which was a very winnable fight for him he still looked really bad.

 

[Slim]

Maia has no striking at all. He's like an early Frank Mir only worse. Maia is all bjj and nothing more. Against Silva... Silva should have just ended it in the first. Second at the latest. After the second he just toyed with him and tried to get him to do something. He just mocked him and made it look terrible.

Maia moving down to Welterweight... eh. Doesn't seem like anything special really. I mean if he can get the fight to the ground then he has a chance to win that exceeds quite a few... but he just isn't that good. He needs to develop his striking. Kinda like how Mir and Werdum both did. Their striking sucked earlier in their career. Now Mir can actually stand a chance on the feet and Werdum ... totally different fighter now.

 

[Deuce]

I'd like to see this guy fight in the Welterweight division, he isn't a very exciting fighter but maybe he could actually fight good in a lower division, or he could just get destroyed since lower divisions usually equal faster fighters.