Maia: BJJ best martial art in the world

UFC welterweight Demian Maia overcame a potentially career ending shoulder infection to fight the formerly unbeaten Ryan LaFlare Saturday night. Originally scheduled for three rounds, it was bumped to five when the original headliner, Urijah Faber vs. Raphael Assuncao, was scrapped due to linger effects of a broken ankle suffered by Assuncao. Maia, 37, dominated four of those five rounds. Still, he is not satisfied with his performance, nor were many fans.

The 4th degree black belt in BJJ and 2007 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Champion has arguably the finest BJJ game in mixed martial arts, but it does not always leave asses in seats on the edge of their seat.

“The first rounds were good, I dominated them, but I didn’t train for a long time,” said Maia, as transcribed by Guilherme Cruz for MMAFighting.com. “It’s not an excuse. I want another five-round fight, and I will be better next time, no doubt about it. It wasn’t easy to go through what I’ve been through.

“I dominated the first four rounds, and the fifth round was his. It’s hard to stay out of training for three months like I did. I never stayed so long without training. It’s not an excuse. I knew it would be tough if the fight went to the fourth round. I got tired, of course, everybody saw that. But I will get better and be ready for five rounds.”

“Jiu-jitsu teaches you not to hurt your opponent, and that’s inside of me. That’s why I didn’t use the elbow when I was in a dominant position. But of course, that’s a weapon and I have to get better on this aspect.

“I’m a jiu-jitsu guy and that’s my root. I will always go for the submission instead of hurting my opponent. That’s why I love jiu-jitsu, this is the best martial art in the world. It’s an art that seeks the peace, to dominate your opponent. But, as an athlete, I know I have to get better, use more elbows. And I will get better. I locked an arm-triangle and did my best to submit, but I couldn’t. But I can’t complain. I wanted the win and I got it.”