Welterweight Demian Maia praised Matt Brown’s win at UFC Vegas 29 and answered his callout on Instagram.
Former middleweight and welterweight title challenger Demian Maia is unsure what his next move will be after losing to Belal Muhammad at UFC 263, but not for a lack of options. Only one week after the Brazilian’s last outing, seasoned veteran Matt Brown scored an impressive knockout win over Dhiego Lima and called out none other than the grappling specialist for a battle of vets.
Having fought the last fight of his contract at UFC 263, Maia is not sure whether he will renew his deal with the UFC, so he is no position to accept challenges or call shots at the moment. However, Demian did take to Instagram to praise Brown’s performance and react to the callout in his usual respectul manner.
“Congrats on a great win, Matt Brown. It’s great to see other seasoned veterans doing well, and winning in decisive fashion. It’s funny because a lot of people feel limited by age, but we do know how we feel in training, how our experience comes together with the skills, and how competitive we are. But a fight is a matter of that moment, and if we don’t perform to our best at that time, it might leave others to label us. This time you did perform great, and I’m happy for you.”
“Now, I have no idea if I’ll still fight MMA, but I also appreciate the respect and your words post fight.” Maia continued. “We will see what life brings my way, but the respect is mutual. Congratulations again and enjoy your much deserved time off.”
The loss to Mumammad put Maia (28-11) on a two-fight losing skid, with a TKO defeat to Gilbert Burns before UFC 263. However, the 43-year-old was on a three-fight winning streak prior to the back-to-back defeats, with wins over Lyman Good, Anthony Rocco Martin and Ben Askren, two of which came by way of submission.