Demian Maia Takes on Jorge Santiago at UFC 136 in Houston

Mark Munoz and Demian Maia at UFC 131.

UFC 136 is filling up fast and the latest addition to the fight card is a middleweight bout between Demian Maia and former Sengoku champion Jorge Santiago.

Maia announced the new fight on his Twitter account on Friday.

At one time a middleweight title contender, Demian Maia (14-3) is looking to stay viable in that division, but needs to bounce back after a tough loss to Mark Munoz in his last fight.

While the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and multiple time grappling champion showed marked improvement in his stand up and overall fight game during the bout, he still came up short against the former NCAA champion.

Jorge Santiago (23-9) made his return to the Octagon in May, but did not get the homecoming he was hoping for. After a successful turn as Sengoku middleweight champion, Santiago came back to the UFC looking for some redemption after going 1-2 in the promotion during a previous stint.

Facing Brian Stann in his return bout, Santiago struggled with his opponent’s power on the feet, and ended up getting TKO’d in the 2nd round.

Now the Brazilian and former American Top Team fighter will try to reverse his fortune when he faces fellow countryman Demian Maia in October at UFC 136.