21PHOENIX – After 14 years in the UFC, Brazilian jiu-jitsu master Demian Maia knows his days as a fighter are coming to an end.

In fact, that run could close as early as Saturday night.

“I’m near the end, and it could be the last fight,” Maia told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s media day. “But, you know, I’ve been performing so well in training camp, and I’ve been feeling so well that I could do one more, couple more – most likely one more after that.

“Of course, it depends, because you perform well in the training camp, and sometimes, you know, you cannot translate it to the octagon, and so if I can translate well and, of course, UFC and Dana (White), they want me to do one more fight, I would do it. If not, then, you know, it would be the last one.”

Maia (28-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) faces Belal Muhammad (18-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) on the pay-per-view main card of Saturday’s UFC 263 at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz.

At 43, Maia will be facing a man 11 years his junior, but that’s nothing new for the welterweight veteran.

“He’s a great upcoming guy. He’s evolving for sure,” Maia said. “He’s a good wrestler. He’s used the wrestling, but in the later years, he’s been striking much more, and he trusts his striking abilities. So, you know, like every top-15 guy, he’s a pretty tough fighter. It’s not an easy fight. But, you know, I been in this situation so many times in my life.”

When Maia steps into the cage, it will be the first time in 15 months, and that’s not by accident. He competed in March 2020 in Brazil on the first card the UFC held without crowds as the COVID-19 pandemic began to impact the entire planet.

Knowing his time left in the sport is limited, Maia decided he wanted to wait until crowds were back in the building – a decision he felt was right after watching fellow Brazilian Antonio Rogerio Nogueira retire after competing in a fight in Abu Dhabi that didn’t have fans present.

“For me, it was sad that he did his last fight without a crowd – and not just him, but other fighters, too,” Maia said. “I was like, ‘Man, I don’t want that for me.’

“You know, I don’t want to end my career without a crowd. It would be so, so sad, at least in my opinion, and thank God the events just came back to normal and are coming back slowly, and that’s you know, that’s why I’m here. I’m very glad for that.”

Should things go well against Muhammad, Maia hopes to have a formal send-off, perhaps in his next appearance, but if not, he’s comfortable knowing he’s already left a lasting legacy during his MMA run.

“I’m very happy when I hear from my peers and all the other fighters that they admire me, like Charles (Oliveira) is now; he just won the championship and he said, ‘In Brazil, I think Demian is still the best one in jiu-jitsu,’” Maia said. “That makes me so happy because, you know, to get recognized by your peers, it’s great. But for the fans, I want them to remember me about the Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and everything that I represent behind that name of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and everything that it represents and my posture as a martial artist.”