Demian Augusto Maia Baptista (born 6 November 1977) is a Brazilian professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

, submission grappler and 5th degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt. Maia competed in both the

Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term ''welterweight'' was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...

and

Middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have beg ...

divisions of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

(UFC). He has competed in two UFC title fights, losing against Anderson Silva for the UFC Middleweight Championship in 2010 and Tyron Woodley for the

UFC Welterweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight clas ...

in 2017. In

submission grappling Submission wrestling, also known as submission grappling, submission fighting, or simply grappling, is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on ground fighting and submission techniques. It is a hybrid discipline that incorporates eleme ...

, Maia has won

gold medals A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have b ...

at the ADCC World Championships, the World Jiu-Jitsu Cup, and Pan-American Championships.

Background

Born in

São Paulo, Brazil SAO or Sao may refer to: Places * Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD * Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso * Serb Autonomous Regions (''Srpska autonomna oblast'', SAO), during the breakup of Yu ...

, Maia trained in

judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...

as a child. He began at the age of four and trained until he was six. When he became a teenager, he also began studying

kung fu Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...

and

karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...

. By age nineteen, Maia was introduced to Brazilian jiu-jitsu by his cousin. After four years and seven months, Demian received his black belt. Demian Maia finished college and graduated with a degree in

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...

. As of 2021, he is a fifth-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and has won several major tournaments with Team Brasa. Maia has previously credited a three-hour private lesson he once took with

Rickson Gracie Rickson Gracie (; born November 21, 1959) is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist. He is a member of the Gracie family: the third oldest son of Hélio Gracie, brother to Rorion and Relson Gracie, and half-brother to Rolker, Royce, Robin ...

as one of the moments that had the biggest impact on his approach to jiu-jitsu and changed it entirely.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

On 21 September 2001, fought against Raul Sosa at Tormenta en el Ring in

Caracas, Venezuela Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern p ...

. Maia defeated Sosa by TKO in just 48 seconds to win his MMA debut. After a four-year layoff, he returned to submit Lukasz Chewlicki by armbar at The Cage Vol. 4 – Redemption. Maia next competed at Super Challenge 1, earning three victories in one night to be crowned the 2007 Super Challenge Champion in the under-83 kg division. In 2007, he competed in GFC – Evolution against Ryan Stout. Early in the first round, Stout's shoulder popped out of its socket after Maia reversing him into a mount, causing a stoppage due to injury.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

It was reported on 7 August 2007, that Maia had signed a contract with the UFC. He was originally matched against veteran Marvin Eastman, but Eastman pulled out due to eye surgery. Ryan Jensen, who trained with Team Quest, was named as his replacement. The preliminary bout took place on 20 October at '' UFC 77'' in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

. Maia won by rear naked choke in the first round and was awarded the ''Submission of the Night'' award, which paid him an extra $40,000. Maia next fought '' TUF 3'' finalist Ed Herman, another Team Quest fighter, at '' UFC 83'' in

Montreal, Quebec, Canada Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

on 19 April 2008. Maia defeated Herman by technical submission due to a mounted triangle choke at 2:27 of the second round. He again earned ''Submission of the Night'' honors for the victory, which paid him $75,000. Maia's third fight was at '' UFC 87'' where he took on fellow Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Jason MacDonald. Both fighters entered the cage having won back-to-back ''Submission of the Night'' honors in the UFC. Maia went on to defeat MacDonald by rear naked choke at 2:44 of the third round, earning $60,000 for another ''Submission of the Night'' bonus. With this award he became the first UFC fighter to earn three consecutive ''Submissions of the Night'' awards. His four consecutive dominating submissions in the UFC have quickly brought his skills to the forefront as possibly being the best pure grappler in the UFC. Maia defeated heavy handed striker

Nate Quarry Nathan Parker "Nate" Quarry (born March 19, 1972) is a retired United States, American mixed martial arts fighter who is most notable for his appearance in ''The Ultimate Fighter'', a reality show from the Ultimate Fighting Championship, as well ...

at '' UFC 91'' by rear naked choke in the first round. After the fight, Maia expressed interest in fighting

Michael Bisping Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping (; born 28 February 1979) is an English former mixed martial artist, sports commentator, analyst, and actor. He competed in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship ( ...

next. Instead, Maia would take on WEC standout and future UFC middleweight title contender Chael Sonnen in London, England at

UFC 95 ''UFC 95: Sanchez vs. Stevenson'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on February 21, 2009, at The O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom. Background The event was broadcast live for viewers in Europe and ...

on 21 February 2009. During the match, Maia tossed Sonnen over his head using a lateral drop takedown, taking Sonnen to the ground, where Maia immediately achieved mount. Maia then transitioned to a triangle choke, forcing Sonnen to tap at 2:24 of the first round. Former UFC Heavyweight Champion and BJJ black belt

Frank Mir Francisco Santos Miranda III (; born May 24, 1979), is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division. He competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for sixteen years, and Bellator MMA. A former UFC Heavywe ...

hired him as his jiu-jitsu coach prior to his UFC 100 title fight with

Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler and professional American football player. As a ...

. Mir credits Maia with bringing Mir's jiu-jitsu skills to different levels, saying "I thought I was actually good at it until I started rolling with him." Maia's next opponent was former title contender Nate Marquardt at '' UFC 102'' on 29 August. During an exchange of strikes, Maia was knocked out by a straight right hand from Marquardt 21 seconds into the fight, resulting in his first career loss. Maia faced Dan Miller on 6 February 2010, at

UFC 109 ''UFC 109: Relentless'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on February 6, 2010, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background A previously rumoured bout between Renzo Gracie and M ...

. Maia won the fight via unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, and 29–28).

Middleweight Championship fight

After Vitor Belfort had to pull out of his upcoming match with UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva at UFC 112 due to a shoulder injury suffered in training, Maia was selected to fill the spot and take Silva on for the belt in what would be the UFC's first-ever open-air event in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In the first two rounds, Silva appeared to mock his opponent, while also executing quick, precise striking. In the third round, however, Silva's tempo seemed to change and looked to Maia to be the aggressor of the fight while he largely circled and taunted his opponent. In the fifth round, Silva's lack of action prompted referee Dan Miragliotta to warn Silva for his conduct and the crowd began to side with Maia. After 5 rounds, Silva was declared the winner via unanimous decision.

Post-title fight

Maia was then expected to fight Alan Belcher on 15 September 2010, at UFC Fight Night 22. However, on 1 August 2010, Belcher withdrew from the fight after undergoing emergency eye surgery for a detached retina. Belcher stated on his

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account that he started to lose the vision in his right eye while in Brazil. As a result, Maia was also pulled from the event and faced Mario Miranda on 28 August 2010, at

UFC 118 ''UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 28, 2010 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The third UFC Fan Expo coincided with the event. This event was t ...

. Maia defeated Mario Miranda via unanimous decision. Maia faced Kendall Grove on 4 December 2010, at The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale. where he won by unanimous decision. Maia faced Mark Muñoz on 11 June 2011, at UFC 131, where he lost a close contest by unanimous decision. Maia defeated Jorge Santiago on 8 October 2011, at UFC 136 by unanimous decision. Maia was expected to face

on 28 January 2012, at UFC on Fox 2. However, Bisping replaced an injured Mark Muñoz on the same card against Chael Sonnen, while Maia faced undefeated Chris Weidman at the event. Weidman defeated Maia via unanimous decision. The fight was initially announced as a split decision but the judges actually scored it as a unanimous decision, clarified by UFC President Dana White in a tweet.

Drop to welterweight

After deciding to drop to the 170 pound division, Maia faced Dong Hyun Kim in a welterweight bout on 7 July 2012, at UFC 148. The bout was stopped in forty-seven seconds by referee Mario Yamasaki, after Maia took Kim down and finished him with strikes from the mounted position. UFC commentator

Joe Rogan Joseph James Rogan (born August 11, 1967) is an American podcaster, Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC color commentator, comedian, actor, and former television host. He hosts The Joe Rogan Experience, ''The Joe Rogan Experience'', which is o ...

said that Kim had broken a rib, but it was later revealed that he suffered a major muscle spasm. Maia fought Rick Story on 13 October 2012, at

UFC 153 ''UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 13, 2012, at the HSBC Arena (Rio de Janeiro), HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Background Vitor Belfort was expec ...

. Maia defeated Story via first round submission due to a neck crank. Maia next faced

Jon Fitch Jon Fitch (born February 24, 1978) is an American retired mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He has competed in the Welterweight (MMA), Welterweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the Professional Fighters League ...

on 2 February 2013, at UFC 156. He dominated the former title challenger for all three rounds, earning a lopsided unanimous decision victory with all three judges scoring the fight 30–27. Maia credited B.J. Penn and his gameplan against Fitch at UFC 127, which Maia admitted he emulated to earn his victory. Maia was expected to face

Josh Koscheck Josh Koscheck (born November 30, 1977) is an American retired mixed martial artist who fought at Welterweight for the UFC and Bellator MMA. Koscheck made his debut with the UFC on the first season of the reality television show, ''The Ultimate ...

on 3 August 2013, at UFC 163. However, Koscheck was forced out of the bout with an injury and as a result, Maia was pulled from the card as well. For his fourth fight at welterweight, Maia faced

Jake Shields Jake Shields (born January 9, 1979) is an American former mixed martial artist and podcaster. As a mixed martial artist, he was the last Rumble on the Rock Welterweight Champion, the only Elite XC Welterweight Champion, a former Shooto Welte ...

on 9 October 2013, at UFC Fight Night 29. As expected, the contest between the two decorated jiu-jitsu practitioners took place mostly on the ground with Maia losing a split decision. Maia faced Rory MacDonald at UFC 170 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 22 February 2014. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Despite the loss, the bout won Maia his first ''Fight of the Night'' bonus award. Maia was expected to face Mike Pierce on 31 May 2014, at The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 Finale. However Pierce had to pull out of the fight due to a broken hand. Pierce was replaced by UFC newcomer

Alexander Yakovlev Alexander Nikolayevich Yakovlev (; 2 December 1923 – 18 October 2005) was a Soviet and Russian politician, diplomat, and historian. A member of the Politburo and Secretariat of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union throughout the 1980s ...

. Maia won the fight via unanimous decision. Maia was expected to face Mike Pyle on 23 August 2014, at UFC Fight Night 49. However he later came down with a staph infection and was forced to pull out of the bout. It was later revealed that Maia's infection had spread to the bone leading to

osteomyelitis Osteomyelitis (OM) is the infectious inflammation of bone marrow. Symptoms may include pain in a specific bone with overlying redness, fever, and weakness. The feet, spine, and hips are the most commonly involved bones in adults. The cause is ...

in his right clavicle. Maia faced

Ryan LaFlare Ryan LaFlare (born October 1, 1983) is an American retired mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the UFC's Welterweight division. Background LaFlare was born and raised in Lindenhurst, New York, attending Lindenhurst High School wher ...

on 21 March 2015, in the main event at UFC Fight Night 62. Maia won the fight by unanimous decision. Maia faced

Neil Magny Aoutneil Jacques "Neil" Magny (born August 3, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2010, Magny made a name ...

on 1 August 2015, at UFC 190. He won the fight via submission with a rear-naked choke in the second round and was awarded a ''Performance of the Night'' bonus. Maia was briefly linked to a fight with Gunnar Nelson on 24 October 2015, at UFC Fight Night 76, but the bout did not materialize for that event as Maia was sidelined with a staph infection on his left leg. The bout eventually took place on 12 December 2015, at UFC 194. Maia won the one-sided fight via unanimous decision (30–26, 30–25, and 30–25). Maia faced off against Matt Brown on 14 May 2016, at UFC 198. He won the fight via submission in the third round. Maia next faced

Carlos Condit Carlos Joseph Condit (born April 26, 1984) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. He previously competed in the Welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interim UFC Welterweight Ch ...

on 27 August 2016, in the main event at UFC on Fox 21. He dominated the fight after quickly getting Condit to the ground and finishing with a rear-naked choke. Maia faced Jorge Masvidal at UFC 211 on 13 May 2017. Maia was able to takedown Masvidal repeatedly and control him on the ground. He won the fight via split decision.

Welterweight title fight and beyond

After amassing a seven-fight win streak at welterweight, Maia faced Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley on 29 July 2017 at

UFC 214 ''UFC 214: Cormier vs. Jones 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship and held on July 29, 2017, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Background A PPV event was initially planned for Anaheim on Ja ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Maia faced Colby Covington on 28 October 2017 at UFC Fight Night 119. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Maia was tabbed as an injury replacement (filling in for Santiago Ponzinibbio) and faced

Kamaru Usman Kamarudeen Usman (born May 11, 1987) is a Nigerian-American professional mixed martial artist, former freestyle wrestler, and graduated folkstyle wrestler. He currently competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championsh ...

on 19 May 2018 at UFC Fight Night 129 He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Maia faced Lyman Good on 2 February 2019 at UFC Fight Night 144. He won the fight via a standing rear-naked choke submission in the first round, becoming the first person to finish Good in his MMA career. Maia faced Anthony Rocco Martin on 29 June 2019 at UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. dos Santos. He won the fight via majority decision. Maia faced

Ben Askren Benjamin Michael Askren (born July 18, 1984) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, professional boxer and Olympic wrestler. He was the former Bellator and ONE Welterweight Champion, remaining undefeated for over a decade ...

on 26 October 2019 at UFC on ESPN+ 20. He won the grappling affair via submission in round three. This fight earned him the '' Fight of the Night'' award. Maia faced Gilbert Burns on 14 March 2020 at UFC Fight Night 170. He lost the fight via technical knockout in round one. Maia faced Belal Muhammad on 12 June 2021 at UFC 263. Maia lost the fight via unanimous decision. In August 2021, it was reported that Maia had finished his fight contract with the UFC and was removed from the UFC roster.

Professional grappling career

He won the 77–87 kg weight division at 2007

ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship The ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship is an international submission grappling competition, organised by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC). ADCC is considered one of the most prestigious No-Gi submission grappling tournaments in the world ...

, defeating Yushin Okami, Rafael Lovato, and Tarsis Humphres before submitting Flavio Almeida with an

armbar An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint or shoulder joint. An armpit lock is very useful; it will immobilize an opponent and pin them on the ground. An armlock t ...

in the finals. He also won the 2007 Super Challenge under 83 kg belt, defeating Vitelmo Kubis Bandeira by

rear naked choke The rear naked choke (RNC), also known as hadaka jime (裸絞) in Judo and "lion killer choke (Mata Leão)" in BJJ, is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word ''naked'' in this context suggests that, unlike other stra ...

and Gustavo Machado by a judges decision before going on to defeat Fabio Negao by guillotine choke in the finals. Maia has also defeated top-ranked UFC middleweight and multiple-time Mundial champion Ronaldo "Jacaré" Souza, as well as former UFC heavyweight title challenger and Mundial champion Gabriel Gonzaga twice in grappling competition. In June, 2021, Maia revealed that he would be returning to grappling competition after he retired from professional MMA. He made his return at BJJ Stars 8 on 30 April 2021. Maia competed in a superfight against fellow MMA veteran Alex Oliveira, submitting him with a triangle choke at 2:11. Maia was then booked to compete in the main event of Polaris 20 on 25 June 2022 against Benson Henderson. He was unable to submit Henderson but controlled the match, winning a unanimous decision. On 12 February 2023, Maia was scheduled to compete against Sangwook Kim in the main event superfight of the Spyder BJJ 'Road to Black' final. Maia scored 16 points during the match before submitting Kim with an arm-triangle choke. Maia announced that he would be competing against fellow UFC veteran

Georges St-Pierre Georges St-Pierre (; born May 19, 1981), also known by his initials GSP, is a Canadian former professional mixed martial artist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) history. St-Pierre was a two-divi ...

in a grappling match at UFC Fight Pass Invitational 6 on 14 December 2023. The match did not go ahead and neither man competed on the card. Maia will lead a team for the 2024 Brazilian qualifying round of the AIGA Champions League in May, 2024.

Fighting style

Maia's fighting style is built around his exceptional abilities on the ground, where he has been able to dominate his opponents. Maia has been called the best ground-fighter in the UFC on multiple occasions. Maia uses double and single leg takedowns as well as trips to advance to a dominant position and soften his opponent up with ground and pound, waiting for an opening for a submission. On the ground, Maia prefers to take the back mount, where he will look for a rear-naked choke. In the bottom position, Maia uses single legs to sweep almost exclusively, and was able to sweep Gunnar Nelson repeatedly with his single leg. Maia is also confident enough in his striking to close the distance and initiate takedowns. To date, Maia has never been submitted in an MMA bout.

Personal life

Maia's mother is of

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

ancestry. He has a wife named Renata, who works for a Brazilian magazine. Maia listed UFC Hall of Famer

Royce Gracie Royce Gracie (; born 12 December 1966) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist. Gracie gained fame for his success in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a member of the Gracie jiu-jitsu family, a UFC Hall of Famer ...

as his inspiration to begin an MMA career, but lists Royce's brother

as his primary hero. Maia speaks Portuguese, Spanish and English. In 2020, Maia opened a new academy in

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

, which also includes a jiu-jitsu museum. In 2023, Maia began working as a member of the commentary team for UFC Fight Pass Brazil.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu lineage

Mitsuyo "Count Koma" Maeda → Carlos Gracie, Sr. →

Helio Gracie Helio may refer to: * Helio AU-24 Stallion * Helio (wireless carrier), a defunct American wireless communications provider (2005–2010); originally a joint venture between SK Telecom and EarthLink, purchased by Virgin Mobile USA in 2008 * He ...

→

Rolls Gracie Rolls Gracie (; 1951–1982) was a Brazilian martial artist. He was a prominent member of the Gracie family known for their founding of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and considered by some the family's best ever fighter. He was teacher of Rickson Gracie, ...

→ Romero "Jacare" Cavalcanti → Fabio Gurgel → Demian Maia

Championships and achievements

Grappling credentials

*ADCC World Submission Wrestling Championships ** ADCC 2007 77–87 kg: 1st place ** ADCC 2005 77–87 kg: 2nd place * IBJJF Pan American Championships ** 2006 Pan American Champion *IBJJF World Championships **2001 Brown Belt Medio-Pesado: 2nd Place **2000 Purple Belt Medio-Pesado: 1st Place **1999 Blue Belt Medio: 2nd Place *CBJJ Brazilian Championships **2006 Black Belt Absolute: 2nd Place & Black Belt Meio-Pesado: 3rd Place **2002 Brown Belt Medio-Pesado: 3rd Place **2001 Brown Belt Medio-Pesado: 1st Place & Brown Belt Medio-Pesado: 3rd Place *CBJJ Brazilian Team Championships **2003 Brown/Black Pesada: Master, 1st Place **2002 Brown/Black Pesada: Alliance, 2nd Place **2001 Brown/Black Pesada: Alliance, 1st Place **2000 Purple Belt Pesada: Alliance, 1st Place *CBJJO Copa Del Mundo (World Cup) **2005 −88 kg Black Belt: 1st Place **2003 Black Belt Meio-Pesado: 3rd Place & Black Belt Absolute: 1st Place **2002 Black Belt Meio-Pesado: 1st Place & Black Belt Absolute: 2nd Place

Mixed martial arts

** Fight of the Night (Two times) vs. Rory MacDonald and

** Performance of the Night (Two times) vs.

and

** Submission of the Night (Four times) vs. Ryan Jensen, Ed Herman, Jason MacDonald and Chael Sonnen **Tied (

Gerald Meerschaert Gerald Edward Meerschaert III (born December 18, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he holds the record for most finishes i ...

) for third most submission wins in UFC history (11) ***Most rear-naked choke submission wins in UFC history (9) ***Second longest submission win streak in UFC history (5) ***Tied ( Chris Lytle &

Vicente Luque Vicente Catta Preta Luque (born November 27, 1991) is a Brazilian and American professional mixed martial artist of Chilean and Brazilian descent. He currently competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). B ...

) for second most submission wins in UFC Welterweight division history (6) ***Fifth most submission attempts in UFC history (27) **Tied (

, Dustin Poirier,

Max Holloway Jerome Max Keli'i Holloway (born December 4, 1991) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight and Lightweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Fea ...

Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the ...

) for fifth most wins in UFC history (22) **Second most top position time in UFC history (2:01:15) **Third most control time in UFC history (2:35:20) **UFC Honors Awards *** 2019: Fan's Choice Submission of the Year Nominee **UFC.com Awards ***2008: Ranked #8 Submission of the Year & Ranked #5 Fight of the Year ***2009: Ranked #2 Submission of the Year ***2012: Ranked #9 Submission of the Year ***2016: Ranked #7 Submission of the Year ***2019: Top 10 Fighter of the Year & Ranked #3 Submission of the Year *Super Challenge **Super Challenge Tournament 182.6 lbs/83 kg (Winner) *FIGHT! Magazine **Newcomer of the Year (2008) * MMAjunkie.com **2014 February Fight of the Month vs. Rory MacDonald *

Sherdog Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It also has many forums and discussion pages on the many topics of MMA like records, promotions, etc. The site is a member of the CraveOnline network and provides MM ...

**2015 Comeback Fighter of the Year * World MMA Awards **2008 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year **2019 – July 2020 Submission of the Year vs.

at UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 28–11 , Belal Muhammad , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 263 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Glendale, Arizona Glendale () is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Located about nine miles northwest of the state capital Phoenix, Glendale is known for State Farm Stadium, which is the home of the Arizona Cardinals football team. The city al ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 28–10 , Gilbert Burns , TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Lee vs. Oliveira , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:34 ,

Brasília Brasília ( ; ) is the capital city, capital of Brazil and Federal District (Brazil), Federal District. Located in the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region, it was founded by President Juscelino ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 28–9 ,

, Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:54 ,

Kallang Kallang ( ) is a Planning Areas of Singapore, planning area and New towns of Singapore, residential zone located in the Central Region, Singapore, Central Region of Singapore. Development of the town is centered around the Kallang River, the l ...

, Singapore , , - , Win , align=center, 27–9 , Anthony Rocco Martin , Decision (majority) , UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. dos Santos , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 26–9 , Lyman Good , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Assunção vs. Moraes 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:38 ,

Fortaleza Fortaleza ( ; ; ) is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeastern Brazil. It is Brazil's 4th largest city—Fortaleza surpassed Salvador, Bahia, Salvador in 2022 census with a population of slightly over 2.4 mi ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 25–9 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Usman , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

, Chile , , - , Loss , align=center, 25–8 , Colby Covington , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Machida , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 25–7 , Tyron Woodley , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 25–6 , Jorge Masvidal , Decision (split) , UFC 211 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 24–6 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC on Fox: Maia vs. Condit , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:52 ,

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 23–6 , Matt Brown , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC 198 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:31 ,

Curitiba Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná (state), Paraná in Southern Brazil. The city's population was 1,773,718 , making it the List of cities in Brazil by population, eighth most populous city in Brazil and the larg ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 22–6 , Gunnar Nelson , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 194 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 21–6 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

UFC 190 ''UFC 190: Rousey vs. Correia'' was a mixed martial arts event held on August 1, 2015, at the Jeunesse Arena, HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Background The event was headlined by a UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship bout between former ...

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Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 20–6 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. LaFlare , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 19–6 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 Finale: Miocic vs. Maldonado , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–6 , Rory MacDonald , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 170 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–5 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Shields , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Barueri Barueri ( or ) is a Brazilian municipality in the State of São Paulo located in the northwestern part of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo. The population is 276,982 (2020 est.) in an area of . Its boundaries are Santana de Parnaíba to ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 18–4 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC 156 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–4 , Rick Story , Submission (neck crank) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:30 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 16–4 , Dong Hyun Kim , TKO (rib injury) , UFC 148 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:47 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–4 , Chris Weidman , Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–3 , Jorge Santiago , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 136 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–3 , Mark Muñoz , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 131 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 14–2 , Kendall Grove , Decision (unanimous) , The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck Finale , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–2 , Mario Miranda , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–2 , Anderson Silva , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 112 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 12–1 , Dan Miller , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–1 , Nate Marquardt , KO (punch) , UFC 102 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:21 ,

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–0 , Chael Sonnen , Submission (triangle choke) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:37 ,

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 10–0 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC 91 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:13 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 , Jason MacDonald , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC 87 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:44 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Ed Herman , Technical Submission (mounted triangle choke) , UFC 83 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:27 ,

Montreal, Quebec Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Ryan Jensen , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC 77 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:40 ,

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Ryan Stout , TKO (shoulder injury) , GFC: Evolution , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:54 ,

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Fabio Nascimento , Submission (guillotine choke) , rowspan=3, Super Challenge 1 , rowspan=3, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:35 , rowspan=3,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Gustavo Machado , Decision (unanimous) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Vitelmo Bandeira , Submission (rear-naked choke) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:30 , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Łukasz Chlewicki , Submission (armbar) , The Cage Vol. 4 - Redemption , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:22 ,

Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...

, Finland , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Raul Sosa , TKO (punches) , Tormenta en el Ring , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:48 ,

Caracas Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern p ...

, Venezuela ,

Pay-per-view bouts

Notes

References

External links

*
BJJ Heroes Demian Maia Biography
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Maia, Demian 1977 births Living people Martial artists from São Paulo Brazilian people of Russian descent Brazilian male mixed martial artists Welterweight mixed martial artists Middleweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing judo Mixed martial artists utilizing karate Mixed martial artists utilizing wushu Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian male judoka Brazilian male karateka Brazilian wushu practitioners Brazilian submission wrestlers People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners who have competed in MMA (men)