Demian Maia arrived in the UFC with a splash, choking necks and threatening limbs. But soon after, he evolved into a striker, and going into his UFC 153 fight with Rick Story, he hadn't submitted an opponent in over three years.
After Saturday night, that drought is over.
Maia immediately worked his wrestling to take Story down and eventually got his back, looking for a rear naked choke but adjusting to a neck crank that brought about a tap at 2:30 of the first round.
It was his first tap since getting Chael Sonnen to submit to a triangle choke at UFC 95 in February 2009.
"To fight here and finish my fight is just great," Maia told Rio's HSBC Arena crowd afterward.
The force of his grip was so strong that Story's nose shot out blood as Maia squeezed.
For Maia, it was a second straight win since moving down to the welterweight division. He's now 17-4.
Story fell to 14-6.