Demian Maia has been near the mountain top of MMA before. Now, at age 38, he's willing to wait to see it again.
After his dominant UFC on Fox 21 victory over Carlos Condit, Maia believes he's earned a UFC Welterweight title shot. With Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson and possibly Georges St-Pierre standing in his way, Maia isn't keen on the idea of competing again before that shot.
“I will wait. I can stay active with training, doing my teaching and everything I do every day. I think the guy that I fought today is not just a former champion, but he’s a guy who many people, including me, thought won (against former champion Robbie Lawler) and was supposed to be the champion. So, what else should I do? I have six wins in a row and that’s it," Maia said on the FOX post-fight show.
Maia will be 39 years old in November, and knows that time isn't on his side. Six years after his last championship fight, he looks to become the first man to compete for the 170 and 185 pound UFC titles. While he's willing to wait, Maia wants the UFC to speed things up a but.
“I think (there’s a possibility of getting the next shot). I respect Thompson very much. He’s a great guy. Of course, I’m much older than him. So, if they can give me (the title shot) to me first, that would be great. If not, I hope they give it to him fast and I wait to see who wins the fight," said Maia.
Maia also spoke about the technical differences between Condit and Thompson, and how his style benefits him those matchups. You can see his interview above.
