Demian Maia

“I lived in Barueri for a long time, and now I live in a city close to Barueri, so it's like my backyard.”

“Things can change quickly in the UFC. I lost to Nate Marquardt in my first loss as a middleweight and then I defeated Dan Miller and fought for the title against Anderson Silva.”

“I was never a playboy, you know? But it's easy to say that because it's just a stereotype. 'OK, this boy did college so he must be a playboy.'”

“Sonnen, to me, he's a great athlete, but he created that image so much for himself that people don't think he's that good. They just think he talks. So I think it's a risk you run when you do that.”

“When I got into UFC, it was an unbelievable feeling. When I got inside the cage, 'Big' John McCarthy - a guy who I was watching back when Royce Gracie was fighting - was the referee. I was able to earn a quick submission win. It was perfect.”

“Seminars, TV shows, documentaries, always spreading Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I'm an instrument of this art more than a character myself.”

“I went to college. I did that but I worked at the same time, and I trained.”

“Anytime a guy asks to compete against you, they usually think they have the advantage.”

“When you get asked if you want the title, you really need to push for that. That's why I want to do it my style, not do it so loud, but I want to fight for the title.”

“When I fight, nobody boos. Everybody likes it. Everyone cheers for me. I'm happy about that, because I'm one of the guys who is putting the grappling and jiu-jitsu on the level where people are interested in the technique. I can get people excited about it.”

“I would never say 'Demian Maia jiu-jitsu.' I created lots of things that became known, but it's all Brazilian jiu-jitsu.”

“If we fought like the old days, with no time limit, it would be better to work. We only have five minutes to work per round so it's complicated, especially because everybody knows that my ground game is good.”

“Jiu-jitsu teaches you not to hurt your opponent, and that's inside of me.”

“I'm a name that can be as a co-main event or a main event and people want to see.”

“MMA's not like a game like basketball, for example, that if you're winning by 30, 40 points and there's just five minutes left, you can do whatever you want because the guy isn't going to beat you. In MMA, you can get beaten in the last minute of the fight, or the last second of the fight, so sometimes you've got to be safe.”

“I cannot forget my roots. That's what helps me win fights.”

“A lot of people love what I do and a lot of people don't like or hate my style, so it's external - I really don't care about that. I'm happy with the people that appreciate it, but I'm not unhappy with the people that don't like it.”

“I know I have a lot of fans, and it's a big mistake try to please everybody.”

“A lot of people underestimate Jake Shields, but his results speak for themselves. He's tough to beat.”

“I had my first professional fight was in 2001 in Venezuela - it was also my first international trip away from Brazil. It was a great experience. Then in 2005, I went to Finland and won. The next year there was a tournament in Brazil with three fights in one night. I was the underdog and won all three fights.”