UFC News: Demian Maia Wants Diego Sanchez in Retirement Fight

With one fight left on his contract, Demian Maia has set his sights on Diego Sanchez for his final fight. Maia has expressed interest in fighting Sanchez, since his win over Ben Askren at UFC Fight Night 162 on October 26, 2019. Sanchez has responded to Maia call out and wants the UFC to make the fight happen.

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We’re all excited to get back to our normal!!! @demianmaia @danawhite @ufc fight island?

A post shared by Diego Sanchez (@diegonightmaresanchezufc) on Apr 19, 2020 at 9:28am PDT

Maia is coming off of a TKO loss against Gilbert Burns at UFC Fight Night 170 on March 14. Before his fight against Askren, Maia had signed a new deal for two fights(not including the Askren fight). A potential fight with Sanchez would be his last fight on his contract and Maia seems ready to retire afterward. At 42 years old, Maia has had an incredible career and seems destined to be a UFC Hall of Famer. He has been with the UFC for over 12 years and has wins over the likes of Carlos Condit, Jorge Masvidal, and Chael Sonnen.

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Muito obrigado a todos vocês pela torcida, apoio, e pelas inúmeras mensagens de carinho que recebi! A noite de ontem significou muito pra mim, porque não é segredo pra ninguém que representar o Jiu Jitsu Brasileiro 🇧🇷 é mais do que uma missão, mas uma escolha de vida que fiz. A arte marcial não se representa apenas lutando, muito menos apenas vencendo, mas sim no dia a dia, através dos exemplos e do legado que deixamos pra outras pessoas. Me sinto privilegiado de poder entregar meu melhor e representar a nossa arte marcial. Obrigado a todos vocês de coração! Obrigado também ao @benaskren pela luta, e por me dar a oportunidade de me desafiar e continuar buscando minha evolução. Ele é um atleta de altíssimo nível, campeão nacional de Wrestling nos EUA, e ex atleta olímpico. Tenho muito respeito por ele, e competir contra ele foi um desafio que nos puxou ao máximo, buscando novas alternativas e ideias pra desenvolver um plano tático diferente, revisitando técnicas e mudando hábitos. Foi um privilégio ter essa oportunidade, e ainda pretendo um dia ter também o privilégio de treinar com ele. Obrigado por tudo Galera! 📷 by: @eduardo_alonso

A post shared by Demian Maia (@demianmaia) on Oct 26, 2019 at 7:54pm PDT

Sanchez has had a difficult time in recent years in the UFC. He has won three of his last six fights but has taken a significant amount of damage. His last win was against Michel Pereira at UFC Fight Night 167 on February 15, but it was by Disqualification due to illegal knees by Pereira. Sanchez was losing the fight and Pereira was dominating the fight. Despite having rough performances in the UFC in recent years, Sanchez has shown no intention to retire anytime soon.

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Demian Maia vs. Diego Sanchez @demianmaia @diegonightmaresanchezufc @schoolofselfawareness @mmajunkiedotcom @espnmma @arielhelwani @mmaworlddotcom @bareknucklefc @goldenboymma @mmatristan @thecoletrain01 @joerogan @prestigewarriorofficial @samyaljamal @mat05martialarts @theschmo312 @mmafightingdotcom @themmadigest @ogshawnymack #mma #ufc #fightgame #ufcfighter #demianmaia #diegosanchez #espnmma #halloffamer

A post shared by Diego Sanchez (@diegonightmaresanchezufc) on Mar 18, 2020 at 4:32pm PDT

The UFC has yet to announce whether the fight will happen. Both fighters seem interested in making the fight happen, making it easier for the UFC to make it official.