Demian Maia walked away from UFC 211 with another welterweight win. This one was the biggest since he dropped from middleweight in 2012 because it locked up a likely title shot against 170-pound title holder Tyron Woodley.
The road to title contention hasn’t been an easy one. Much of that path — if not all — has been against some of the best the division has to offer. Wins over the likes of Matt Brown, Carlos Condit, and as of Saturday night Jorge Masvidal have propelled Maia into a position that some say he should have been in long ago.