Nayara Arnault Maia Correia Record: 7-1-1

Regional run and the Contender Series

The backbone of Maia's career is a long unbeaten run through her regional years. She scored a ground-and-pound stoppage of Larissa Miranda and produced one of her signature results in 2022 — a first-round finish of the 10-1 Reina Cordoba by strikes from back mount. That momentum, plus a draw with Nadia Vera as the only mark against her, earned her a Contender Series slot in 2022, where she dropped a unanimous decision to the unbeaten Tereza Bledá in the toughest test of her career. She was also matched at one point with future UFC fighter Denise Gomes, though that bout did not take place as scheduled.

Fighting style

Maia is a finisher with two clear paths to ending a fight. Of her seven wins, three have come by knockout and two by submission, for a finish rate above 70%, with only two decisions — and her sole loss came on the scorecards rather than by stoppage. That pattern points to a fighter who is dangerous in scrambles and on top, capable of closing the show with either ground-and-pound or a tight armlock. The honest counterpoint is the same one that defines many regional finishers: when an opponent can weather her early aggression and grappling, as Bledá did, the fight can slip into a points battle where her finishing edge is neutralized.

Career highlights

• Dana White's Contender Series appearance — reached the UFC's premier proving ground in 2022 on the strength of a long, finish-heavy regional run.
• Win over a 10-1 opponent — finished the experienced Reina Cordoba in the first round, the standout result of her regional career.
• Above 70% finish rate — mixes knockout power and submissions, with five of her seven wins coming inside the distance.