Two fights into his welterweight career, Demian Maia looks like he could be a legitimate contender to the 170lb strap.
Maia’s win in his debut over Dong Hyun Kim was a bit lackluster due to Kim getting injured during the opening seconds of the bout, so his return to the cage against Rick Story was a huge test for Maia and his welterweight future.
Story is a highly regarded fighter who’s beaten some serious competition in the UFC, including former title challenger Thiago Alves, and his strong wrestling base was supposed to give Maia some problems.
Instead, Maia used his underrated takedown ability to get the fight to the floor and deliver a grappling clinic, taking the back of Story and forcing “The Horror” to tap in the first round.
With two quick wins under his belt, Maia is going to take a pretty big step up in competition for his next fight and we’ll truly find out if he is a title threat in one of the UFC’s toughest divisions.