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“Sometimes we think too much ahead,” Maia said ahead of her bout at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs Daukaus. “I used to think that a win could get me another title shot. Now we’re taking one fight at a time and not worrying about the next ones. Obviously, we want to fight for the title, but this fight is the most important to me.”
The last time fans saw Maia was just two months ago in Las Vegas, where she faced Katlyn Chookagian. Maia fell to Chookagian via unanimous decision, and even though she lost, Maia emphasized how she is constantly learning and taking things away from her fights, regardless of if she wins or loses.
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This weekend she’s stepping in on a couple weeks’ notice to face flyweight up and comer Manon Fiorot. For Maia, camp was business per usual, just at a little bit faster pace due to the short notice.
“As it was a four-week camp, I had to pick up the pace a little bit,” Maia said. “I did a 12-week camp in one month. But I managed to bring other athletes to the camp this time to do some sparring and the rest was basically the same.”
There was no hesitation for Maia to jump in and take this fight. Fiorot went 3-0 in her first three UFC fights in 2021, which pushed her into the rankings. She’s currently ranked at number 13, while Maia sits at number four.
Maia understands the test that she faces on Saturday night.