Triple Take: Who should Demian Maia face in retirement fight?

Demian Maia had a three-fight winning streak snapped this past Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 28 when he was TKO’d by Gilbert Burns in the first round of their welterweight fight in Brasilia, Brazil. Afterward, the 42-year-old Maia said he would fight one more time before retiring. So who should it be against? MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun, Danny Segura and Nolan King sound off in this latest edition of “Triple Take.”

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Farah Hannoun: Donald Cerrone

Demian Maia deserves a big name in his farewell fight.

Maia has fought the who’s who in MMA, from legends to former champions to up-and-coming prospects, and considering that he mentioned Donald Cerrone as a potential last fight, he should get it. Good thing for him, Cerrone is game to fight anyone, which makes the possibility of this matchup even higher.

Stylistically it can be viewed as a classic striker vs. grappler match, but Cerrone has shown serious skills on the ground. Granted, he’d most likely avoid the ground with Maia. However, Cerrone has entertained us every single time he’s stepped foot in the octagon, which could make for an intriguing fight. “Cowboy” is in the twilight of his career, which he’d probably disagree with, but either way, Maia would be a big name for him, too.

Rankings wise, it may not look like it makes sense, since Maia has won three of his last four compared to Cerrone losing his last three, but this is no longer about rankings for Maia. It’s the final fight of Maia’s career, and if anyone will give him the scrap he’s looking for, it’s Cerrone.

Cerrone also happens to hold the UFC record for most wins, and Maia trails behind by just one fight. So this one would also have a lot on the line in terms of the record books.