Jennifer Maia’s Race against Time

Jennifer Maia feels the tug.

The former Invicta Fighting Championships titleholder recently wed longtime coach Edicarlos Goncalves and admits motherhood beckons as she drifts into her mid-30s—a reality that could interrupt or even close the book on her successful mixed martial arts career at any point. Either way, time appears to be ticking.

“I don’t hide from anyone that I wish to be a mother,” Maia told Sherdog.com. “I’ll see what the fight world has to offer me. Once I am a mother, I’ll decide if I should continue based on how my body responds. As long as I’m fighting, I’ll give my best to have an excellent career. If I have another chance at the title, I would love to be champion before taking time off. I’ll let destiny take its course.”

An integral part of the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s flyweight division since 2018, the 34-year-old Maia will mark the next steps in her journey when she faces American Top Team’s Maryna Moroz as part of the UFC Fight Night 215 undercard on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Moroz, 31, enters the Octagon on the strength of a three-fight winning streak, punctuated by an arm-triangle submission of former teammate turned rival Mariya Agapova in March.

“Maryna is a fighter who’s been showing enormous potential,” Maia said, “and she keeps evolving with each bout. Her strong suit is her ground game, but she’s a complete fighter. She’s looking to climb up the rankings. I think it will be a great fight. I think it’s interesting we’re booked against each other. When facing Maryna, I’ll be able to showcase the work I’ve been putting in. I’ll be victorious. I don’t know if I’ll win by knockout or submission, but I know I will win.”

Not all has gone according to plan for Maia in the UFC. She has compiled a 4-5 record across nine appearances with the company, her victories over Jessica Eye, Joanne Wood, Roxanne Modafferi and Alexis Davis offset by losses to Katlyn Chookagian (twice), Manon Fiorot, Liz Carmouche and reigning flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko.

“All my fights have been tough,” Maia said. “All UFC fighters, ranked or not, are chosen from the best in the world. Since my debut, I’ve only faced top opponents. I did learn a lot from my losses to highly regarded fighters. I feel stronger from those lessons. I’ll be better trained and more experienced going into this next fight.”

As she looks to balance her competitive pursuits with her responsibilities outside the cage, Maia covets another opportunity to challenge Shevchenko—a woman with whom she went five rounds in November 2020. First, she must stop the bleeding after suffering back-to-back defeats and recapture the magic that once made her one of the Top 5 flyweights in the sport.

“I wish to close out this year with a golden key: a victory,” Maia said. “That way, I start booking new fights for 2023. My current goal is to win this next fight and climb my way up, one rung at a time.”