UFC on FOX 2 Results: Does Demian Maia Need to Get Back to his BJJ?

Demian Maia lost another decision last night on the UFC on FOX 2 card. He lost to a standout newcomer in Chris Weidman, and there is no shame in losing to a last-minute replacement or a great fighter.

There is an unsettling problem with the fact that he chose to stand and fight for most of the fight instead of working on his grappling.

If he was a fighter who didn't excel in one area, it would have been a smart move. Weidman is a former amateur wrestling standout.

But Maia is a second-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and his opponent had to cut weight with only 11 days to make 185 pounds. A ground fight should have been the way to go.

Maia hasn't been the same since his 21-second defeat at the hands of Nate Marquardt where he was knocked out. The fight left him psychologically damaged, as his win-loss record has indicated. He now mixes victories with defeats and either one is a decision.

He also has elected to stand and fight in most of his matches despite his obvious ability to dominate most fighters on the ground.

At 34, he has run out of chances. He was probably never going to get another title shot after the embarrassing bout he had with Anderson Silva at UFC 112, but he still could have been a top contender.

Now Maia is 1-2 in his last three and has lost to a fighter who lacks the clout that Maia has made for himself. He might get another shot on a televised part of an undercard, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the UFC put him on an untelevised portion.

Maia just isn't willing to engage fighters in his best attribute and work around them. Whether it is about him trying to prove that he can now stand and fight on his feet or it is some fear that he is having trouble facing, he just isn't the fighter fans come to watch any more.

Maia is a fighter who got caught one night and hasn't shaken off the effects even years later. At this rate he may never, but he should attempt to.

Because if he doesn't, he is going to continue tying his career up in knots instead of tying his opponents up in submissions.

And there is precious little time left for him to, either.

Matthew Hemphill writes for the MMA and professional wrestling portion of Bleacher Report.  He also hosts a blog elbaexiled.blogspot.com which focuses on books, music, comic books, video games, film, and generally anything that could be related to the realms of nerdom.