Grappling ace Maia was in the “seen it all, done it all” part of his career as a multi-time title challenger in the UFC. Muhammad on the other hand was a fight on the rise, looking to shake off the disappointment of a fight against Leon Edwards ending in an eye poke back in March.

After a couple of half-hearted takedown entries, Maia got in on the single-leg about a minute into the fight on Saturday. He worked Muhammad up against the cage and even managed to get him down for a few brief moments. Muhammad eventually worked back to his feet and worked for separation. A few jabs landed for Muhammad, but not much before he wound up against the cage for a second and then third time. The late attempts from Maia didn’t succeed, but Muhammad spent the vast majority of the round fighting them off.

The early part of the second round, again, saw Muhammad very tentative. He appeared to be worried about the counter single-leg takedown and as a result, was not throwing very much. After stuffing a couple takedown attempts though, he began to open up a bit more. Muhammad landed a few, but Maia wasn’t going quietly on the feet, scoring with a couple left hands of his own. Maia ended the round looking for his first takedown of that period, but wound up running out of time. It was a much more productive five minutes for Muhammad.

Maia came out for the third round with a sense of urgency, looking for a takedown early with nothing doing. Maia began to look wilted as he neared the 20 takedown attempt mark (still with just one completed). There was little else to say about the third round that again ended with Muhammad’s back against the cage.

Official Result: Belal Muhammad def. Demian Maia by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

The post UFC 263 Results: Belal Muhammad Stuffs Demian Maia’s Takedowns, Wins Decision appeared first on Cageside Press.

“You know, I always have swag, uh, but people are just realizing it, starting to see it now,” Muhammad said during UFC 263 media day. “I feel like, kind like, [Jorge] Masvidal. He’s always been the same person, always fought the same way, like he was always that guy, you know, where the diehards knew who he was, and things like that. But then, all of a sudden, when the UFC was like, ‘Oh, this guy’s got a personality, he’s promotable,’ now he’s one of the biggest stars. I feel like that’s what I’m going to be.”

Muhammad is fighting UFC legend Demian Maia at UFC 263, in what could be the Brazilian’s last fight. While he’s not looking past the jiu-jitsu legend, Belal Muhammad is looking forward to fighting Leon Edwards again. The last time they fought, the fight ended 18 seconds into round two due to an accidental eye poke.

Ahead of UFC 263, “Remember the name” is even joining the Nate Diaz army, hoping to get the rematch with Edwards.

“I’m going to be rooting for Nate Diaz because obviously if Nate Diaz wins that definitively, then Leon Edwards makes sense. So, I’m going to be Nate Diaz army. Hopefully, he wins that fight. Otherwise, you know, I want to look for someone in the top five,” Muhammad said.

Watch the full UFC 263 media day scrum with Belal Muhammad above. The event takes place this Saturday, June 12, at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The main card airs live on PPV.

The post UFC 263’s Belal Muhammad Sees A Similar Road To Superstardom As Jorge Masvidal – Personality Wise appeared first on Cageside Press.

It feels like a bookend of sorts: Maia was a part of the first fight card without fans prior to the sports world shutting down.

“When I fought in Brasilia, the first fight without a crowd, it was pretty awkward,” Maia said during UFC 263 media day on Wednesday. “I was telling the other interviews that when you have always been fighting all your life with crowds, since the time I was fighting jiu-jitsu- there have always been crowds, especially in world [championships] — big crowds. You kind of take for granted the fans, you think it’s nice but I’m too focused on what I’m doing that I’m going to enjoy after. But once you fight with a crowd the importance of energy or whatever you believe. The fans are a part of the show. For me, it’s very important and I’m glad to fight in front of a crowd again.”

With a handful of UFC legends retiring last year without their last fight being in front of a crowd, Maia did not want that for himself. He mentioned his fellow Brazilain Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, who retired on ‘Fight Island’ last year without fan present for a proper send-off.

“For me, it was sad that he did his last fight without a crowd — and not just him, but other fighters, too. I was like, man, I don’t want that for me,” Maia said.

“You know, I don’t want to end my career without a crowd. It would be so, so sad, at least in my opinion, and thank God that the events just came back to normal and are coming back slowly, and that’s you know, that’s why I’m here. I’m very glad for that.”

If this is Maia’s last fight, be sure to scream for him.

Watch the full UFC 263 media day scrum with Demian Maia above. The event takes place this Saturday, June 12, at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The main card airs live on PPV.

The post UFC 263: Demian Maia Very Glad To Be Fighting In Front Of A Crowd For His Possible Last Fight appeared first on Cageside Press.

Brett Okamoto of ESPN was first to report the news that No. 8 ranked welterweight Maia will return to fight No. 13 ranked Belal Muhammad at UFC 263 on June 12. Both fighters would confirm the news on their social media.

By the time Maia (28-10) fights, it will be more than a year since he fought Gilbert Burns at UFC Fight Night: Lee vs. Oliveira in his home country of Brazil. He would lose via first-round knockout. The loss to Burns would snap the UFC veteran’s three-fight win streak that included wins over Ben Askren, Lyman Good, and Anthony Rocco Martin. Maia was flirting with retirement after the loss to Burns and said he would retire after his next fight, but nothing new has come of it.

Muhammad (18-3-1) won’t get the Leon Edwards rematch he wanted, but Maia will do. “Remember the name” is coming off a no contest where he was poked in the eye and could not continue. A month prior to the Edwards fight at UFC 258, he defeated Dhiego Lima via unanimous decision. Muhammad is riding a four-fight win streak with wins over Good, Curtis Millender, and Takashi Sato.

UFC 263 takes place June 12, 2021. While no official location or venue have been announced for the PPV card, the following fights have been reported:

• Deiveson Figueiredo (c) vs. Brandon Moreno – for the UFC flyweight championship
• Demian Maia vs. Belal Muhammad
• Carlos Felipe vs. Jake Collier
• Luigi Vendramini vs. Fares Ziam
• Movsar Evloev vs. Hakeem Dawodu
• Lauren Murphy vs. Joanne Calderwood

The post Demian Maia vs. Belal Muhammad Set for UFC 263 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Gilbert Burns returned to the UFC Octagon with the momentum of a four-fight win streak, where tonight he was looking to capture a win over a topped ranked opponent like Demian Maia (currently in the number 5 spot).

Demian Maia entered the Octagon in Brasília, Brazil with the full intention to douse the surging younger flame that is Gilbert Burns. Maia earned Fight of the Night honours in his last outing, where he put away Ben Askren last October in Kallang, Singapore.

Both fighters come out trading punches early on the feet, and Maia backed Burns to the fence.

Maia took Burns to the ground, and after a quick exchange on the mat, the fight returned to the feet.

Maia pressed the action to the cage by getting on the back of Burns, and he transitioned to mount briefly before the fight returned to the feet. Once both men separated, Burns dropped Maia with a left hook.

DROPPED! 🤯

A CHANGING OF THE GUARD IN BRASILIA! 🇧🇷

➡️ Don't miss the main event on @ESPN pic.twitter.com/BjODzRlULc

— UFC (@ufc) March 14, 2020

Burns thought he had a KO victory, but continued to jump on Maia with a barrage of punches before the ref stepped in to call off the contest at 2:34 of the first round.

Post-fight, Burns spoke of the respect and admiration he had for his countryman Maia. He also took the time to call out former interim welterweight champ Colby Covington, saying “I’m going to beat you up!” before adding it was a good thing they were on ESPN — else he’d no doubt have harsher words.

Official Result: Gilbert Burns def. Demian Maia by TKO, Round 1, 2:34

The post UFC Brasilia Results: Gilbert Burns Knocks Out Maia, Calls Out Covington appeared first on Cageside Press.

The UFC is looking to book another high-level grappler’s match-up for Demian Maia. Following his main event against Ben Askren at UFC Singapore last year, the next target for the veteran appears to be Gilbert Burns. Brazil’s Combate was first the report the news. The bout will take place at UFC Brasilia.

If it does come to pass, the all-Brazil showdown will see Maia (28-9) enter the bout on a three-fight win streak. The submission expert has not lost since meeting Kamaru Usman in 2018. Usman would go on to become champ with a win over Tyron Woodley. Maia, meanwhile, has strung together wins over Lyman Good, Anthony Rocco Martin, and then Askren. Two of the three came via sub, with only Martin going the distance.

At 42, Maia’s time in the sport is drawing to a close, but the former middleweight and welterweight title challenger is still a dangerous outing for any fighter. Gilbert Burns (17-3), however, is also a stud on the ground, with a number of gold medals in jiu-jitsu tournaments at the world level. Not to mention eight submission wins scattered across his professional MMA career.

Like Maia, Burns will enter UFC Brasilia on a solid win streak, having had his hand raised in his last four trips to the octagon. Most recently, ‘Durinho’ earned a unanimous decision against Gunnar Nelson at UFC Copenhagen.

UFC Brasilia takes place March 14, 2020 at the Ginásio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, Brazil. The card currently breaks down as follows:

Johnny Walker vs. Nikita Krylov
Jussier Formiga vs. Brandon Moreno
Amanda Ribas vs. Paige VanZant
Aleksei Kunchenko vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Makhmud Muradov
Enrique Barzola vs. Rani Yahya
Veronica Macedo vs. Bea Malecki
Maryna Moroz vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
Gilbert Burns vs. Demian Maia

The post Gilbert Burns vs. Demian Maia Eyed for UFC Brasilia appeared first on Cageside Press.

UFC Singapore was an odd duck of a card to say the least. The main event was a grappling fan’s dream, but outside Ben Askren and Demian Maia, the card lacked bonafide star power. The early prelims were a mixed bag, although a few fights stood out — including the debut of Loma Lookboonmee, the first ever Thai fighter to step in the octagon.

Bonus time, however, saw the main event earn Fight of the Night honors. Maybe that will take some of the sting off what ‘Funky’ Ben Askren called a “bad decision.” That bad decision came when he opted to engage on the ground with BJJ expert Demian Maia with over a minute left in the third round. Maia transitioned to Askren’s back, locked in a rear-naked choke and put the former Bellator and ONE champ to sleep.

A lot will be made about Askren’s fortunes and future in the UFC, has he drops to 1-2 in the promotion. It’s worth noting, however, that two judges had the fight tied heading into the third, and Askren was arguably winning the round until being choked out.

Maia, meanwhile, remains one of the most dangerous grapplers on the planet, having added Askren’s scalp to his collection, which also includes wins over Matt Brown, Carlos Condit, Jorge Masvidal, Jon Fitch, and Chael Sonnen, to name just a few.

Performance of the Night bonuses at UFC Singapore, meanwhile, went to Ciryl Gane, for his heel hook submission of Contender Series alum Don’Tale Mayes, and Beneil Dariush, who submitted the gritty Frank Camacho with a rear-naked choke.

$50,000 U.S. goes to the bonus winners as always.

The post UFC Singapore Bonuses: Askren and Maia Earn Fight of the Night appeared first on Cageside Press.

Ben Askren’s UFC run ahead of his bout in Singapore had been an interesting one. A couple of unique fights, with one controversial victory to show for it, had taken some of the shine off of the previously undefeated multi-promotion champion. His wrestling talents are undeniable, but Askren had been unable to utilize them to the extent that some expected when he joined the promotion. Now, rather than facing top-tier strikers like Robbie Lawler and Jorge Masvidal, Askren was tasked with an opponent more in his wheelhouse.

That opponent at UFC Singapore just also happened to be one of the greatest grapplers in MMA history: Demian Maia. The Brazilian has showcased his jiu-jitsu skills time and time again, submitting and defeating a variety of stylistic opponents throughout his UFC career, which dates back to 2007.

Although he’s 2-3 in his last five fights, Maia was also 9-3 in his last 12. The fighters who’d defeated Maia in that stretch (Tyron Woodley, Kamaru Usman, and Colby Covington) all had similarly strong wrestling backgrounds to that of Askren, while “Funky” lacked the striking skills they possessed. On Saturday, we found out if that would be enough for Askren to get back to his winning ways.

Maia began the fight with a couple of strong left hands, landing one to the head and another to the body of Askren. Askren marched forward, threw a wild spinning back fist, and got the fight to the clinch. Askren paid for his aggression, eating several left hands from the Brazilian while being unable to get the fight to the ground. The duo traded shots and battled in the clinch a few times throughout the first round, with Maia’s striking giving him the early advantage. With 45-seconds left in the round, Askren was finally able to drag Maia to the ground from the clinch, but was quickly on defesne as Maia worked for a couple of submissions until the round ended.

Despite getting the worse of the striking exchanges, Askren’s pressure never waned, and began to give Maia more problems as round two went on. Askren was able to open up a couple of cuts on the face of Maia, landing more regularly in round two as Maia continued to back. The striking advantage that Maia had early in round-one seemed to fade, as Askren’s confidence grew with each landed punch. With a little more than a minute left in the round, Askren shot for another takedown and got the fight to the ground.

Once on the ground, Maia quickly worked for an omaplata, and was able to reverse position and take top control as Askren defended the submission. Maia worked himself into mount, landing some ground and pound, before taking the back and looking for a choke. Askren defended well, reversed position himself, and we got the grappling battle we were hoping for as the second round ended.

What a transition by @DemianMaia! Wow! #UFCSingapore pic.twitter.com/O6Ktqd3IMq

— UFC (@ufc) October 26, 2019

A minute into the third round, Askren got the fight to the ground with an impressive clinch throw. In top position, Askren was unable to make the most of his advantage, and Maia got the fight back to the feet quickly. After eating a couple of hard punches, Askren once again dragged Maia down to the mat. But, as had happened throughout the bout, Maia quickly reversed position and mounted Askren. He then took Askren’s back, locked on a body-triangle, and sunk in the rear-naked choke. Askren got one tap in before going unconscious.

Maia does it!@DemianMaia submits Askren in round 3! Wow! #UFCSingapore pic.twitter.com/2OupGLsGmL

— UFC (@ufc) October 26, 2019

Result: Demian Maia def. Ben Askren by submission (rear-naked choke) in Round 3 (3:54)

The post UFC Singapore Results: Demian Maia Finishes Ben Askren with Third-Round Submission appeared first on Cageside Press.

After a nearly twenty year career, the light at the end of the tunnel is nearly upon Demian Maia.  He has already said he expects to retire by the end of 2020 and there is a chance that he only competes once or twice more following Saturday night.  A veteran of the UFC since 2007, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace has become arguably the most respected jiu-jitsu fighter of the modern era.  In a career that has seen him challenge for the UFC title in two different weight classes, Maia has impressively remained the same fighter, who looks to get the fight to the ground where his prowess more often than not is too much for opponents.

Looking at his UFC career, Maia’s losses have only come to elite competition that either held UFC gold or were in title contention.  Saturday is not an altogether new match-up for him either; he previously fought Jake Shields in 2013 in a headliner in what was considered match-up of two of the most elite grapplers in mixed martial arts.  Maia came up short in that five round affair and undoubtedly wants to prevail in what could be one of the last tests of his grappling abilities in the cage.

THIS WEEK!

A grappler's dream matchup! 💭 #UFCSingapore pic.twitter.com/qvZbNP4mK9

— UFC (@ufc) October 21, 2019

By comparison, Ben Askren’s UFC run has not gone as he would have hoped.  His controversial fight with Robbie Lawler was written off as an anomaly, an odd finish that was unfortunate but not unheard of in the sport.  But the five second loss to Jorge Masvidal in what will likely be the Knockout of the Year has hurt his stock more than he’d like to admit.  Though unfair, the prevailing thought is that the competition outside of the UFC is inferior to what one faces in the Octagon.  After collecting titles in Bellator and ONE Championship, the nature of the loss to Masvidal gives fuel to the critics who would say he didn’t face elite opponents earlier in his career.

Askren has said that a loss on Saturday will give cause for concern about whether he should continue competing.  His ease with the media and the fans has made him a popular athlete who galvanizes people to tune in when he competes.  But at 35 years old, the possibility of a major reinvention as a fighter is highly unlikely.  However, his loss to Masvidal is the only one in a ten year career that has taken him around the United States and Asia.  Not to be forgotten, the fight was widely considered a title eliminator.  Another victory or two could well propel him back into a title picture, that may be sorted out by next summer.

Predictions? @DemianMaia & @BenAskren face-off for the first time during fight week! #UFCSingapore pic.twitter.com/LqxYxt3iqQ

— UFC (@ufc) October 24, 2019

Of the two, Maia is more comfortable on the feet and figures to win the exchanges each time they engage.  That said, Askren is the more effective fighter at getting opponents to the canvas with his wrestling.  While Maia frequently looks for submissions, Askren is more known for smothering opponents with consistent ground-and-pound over the course of the fight.

Neither man is lacking for options with a victory.  In the next several months, the rankings are expected to see a major shake-up with the number of matches involving big names in critical fights.  As the schedule for 2020 begins to take shape, both Maia and Askren will see many potential opponents who are looking to move back up the ladder.

The post UFC Singapore: A Grappling Super Fight Between Maia and Askren appeared first on Cageside Press.

The UFC is in Singapore this weekend, with a Fight Night card that will reunite Ben Askren with the Singaporean faithful in Kallang. Opposite Askren will be dangerous BJJ standout Demian Maia, in a fight that promises to be a grappling fan’s dream. The bout has Askren looking to bounce back from the first loss of his career, after he was caught by a Jorge Masvidal flying knee earlier this year.

In co-main event action, Michael Johnson and Stevie Ray throw down, with both men looking to get back in the win column.

The Singapore card is an early one for fight fans in the west, and the weigh-in is already in the books. The full card made weight — check below for full results.

UFC Singapore: Askren vs. Maia Weigh-In Results

Main Card (ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass, 8AM ET)

Demian Maia (170.5) vs. Ben Askren (171)
Michael Johnson (156) vs Stevie Ray (156)
Frank Camacho (155.5) vs Beneil Dariush (156)
Ciryl Gane (239) vs Don’Tale Mayes (250)
Muslim Salikhov (171) vs Laureano Staropoli (171)

Preliminary Card (ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass, 5AM ET)

Randa Markos (115) vs Ashley Yoder (115)
Alex White (155) vs Rafael Fiziev (155)
Enrique Barzola (146) vs Movsar Evloev (146)
Maurice Greene (250) vs Sergei Pavlovich (253)
Loma Lookboonmee (114) vs Alexandra Albu (116)
Raphael Pessoa Nunes (264) vs Jeff Hughes (254)

The post UFC Singapore Weigh-In Results: All Fighters Make Weight appeared first on Cageside Press.