Demian Maia recently shared some remarkable stories from his career and life in Brazil.
Maia recounted a harrowing incident involving his family members. Criminals in Brazil sometimes perpetrate fake kidnapping schemes, calling relatives and claiming to have abducted someone while demanding money. Maia’s father-in-law fell for one such a scam one night. The criminals pressured him to hand over valuables, including a Rolex watch that had been gifted to Maia by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi.
The UFC veteran explained that he and BJ Penn had been invited to Abu Dhabi years ago to participate in a professional jiu-jitsu championship. During their visit, Sheikh Tahnoon, an avid martial arts practitioner himself, invited them to train at his palace. The next day, they were presented with Rolex Daytona watches as gifts.
Maia kept the watch stored safely at his father-in-law’s house in Brazil. However, during the fake kidnapping scheme, his panicked father-in-law ended up surrendering the valuable timepiece to the criminals, along with some cash. By the time they realized it was a scam, the Rolex was gone.
The Brazilian reflected philosophically on the loss on Jaxon podcast, saying “It’s just a material thing, I don’t care. And you know, it’s a nice story to tell on a podcast.”
Maia also touched on the security situation in parts of Brazil, mentioning that his wife’s car is bulletproof for safety when driving with their children. He noted the contrast between the country’s natural beauty and warm people versus the crime issues in some urban areas.
On a lighter note, Maia discussed his recent involvement coaching rising UFC star Ian Garry. He praised Garry as humble, eager to learn, and possessing the tools to become a champion someday. Maia has been working with Garry on adapting jiu-jitsu techniques for MMA, focusing especially on defensive skills against wrestlers.
