Things didn’t go as planned for Demian Maia at UFC Fight Night 170, as he was knocked out in the opening round by Gilbert Burns in the evening’s welterweight co-main event in Brasilia, Brazil, on Saturday.
Burns floored Maia with a left hook and then began a premature celebration when his veteran opponent hit the canvas. Once Burns realized referee Osiris Maia wasn’t stopping the bout, he followed Maia to the canvas and finished the fight with ground-and-pound. Maia was seen protesting the stoppage and believes he had recovered sufficiently to continue.
“Unfortunately, the referee stopped it.