Demiana Maia competed in his first grappling contest in nearly 15 years, as he submitted Alex “Cowboy†Oliveira via Triangle Choke at BJJ Star 8 this Saturday.
Maia’s grappling looked as sharp as ever as he competed in the nogi contest with shorts and short sleeves. Meanwhile, Oliveira chose to don spats for the match. Maia was eager to play off his back, pulling guard within the first minute of the match. As Oliveira attempted to pass, Maia was looking for a leg and eventually got underneath Oliveira and swept Oliveira from Ashi before attempting an Ankle lock. Oliveira spun and kicked out, but Maia ended up on top in full mount after a quick scramble.
Oliveira escaped and the two came back to their feet, but Maia quickly pulled guard again. As Oliveira tried to pass with pressure, Maia secured full guard and started playing for submissions before looking in a triangle that earned a tap after a very brief struggle at 2:11 into regulation.
Maia hasn’t competed in a grappling contest since the ADCC 2007 World Championships, when he won gold in the 88kg division. Shortly after that, he signed his contract with the UFC and focused his efforts on MMA where he amassed a career total of 14 submissions.
