UFC Fight Night 162: Maia vs. Askren | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Dana Black
- May 21
- 6 min read
Table of Contents
Introduction
UFC Fight Night 162: Maia vs. Askren took place on Saturday, October 26, 2019 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore — broadcast live on ESPN+ as ESPN+ 20. The card drew 7,155 fans. The main event was a welterweight bout between Demian Maia and Ben Askren.
Maia submitted Askren with a rear-naked choke at 3:54 of round three — the first submission of Askren’s career. Both fighters earned Fight of the Night. Beneil Dariush and Ciryl Gane each earned Performance of the Night. Rafael Fiziev won his first UFC fight. The card featured Loma Lookboonmee’s UFC debut as the first Thai fighter to compete in the promotion.
Singapore — Maia vs. The ‘Unsubmissible’ Askren
Singapore Indoor Stadium holds approximately 12,000. The 7,155 attendance was below 60% capacity. Askren was 1-1 in the UFC entering Singapore, having suffered the most spectacular loss of his career at UFC 239 in July 2019 when Jorge Masvidal knocked him out with a flying knee in five seconds. His Singapore appearance against Maia was commercially framed as a rehabilitation fight: could Askren recover from the Masvidal KO and compete at his previous undefeated standard?
The competitive narrative had an additional layer: Askren had never been submitted in his professional career before Singapore. His wrestling credentials — NCAA Division I champion, Bellator champion, ONE championship champion — had produced an unbeaten record across multiple organisations through defensive wrestling and forward pressure. Maia’s invitation to compete on the ground was, to many analysts, a tactical consideration that would determine the fight.
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, October 26, 2019 (ESPN+ 20; Singapore; 3rd UFC in Singapore)
📍 Venue: Singapore Indoor Stadium, Kallang, Singapore
👥 Attendance: 7,155
📺 Broadcast: ESPN+ 20 (ESPN+ streaming)
🏆 Main Event: Demian Maia vs. Ben Askren — WW (Askren 1-1 in UFC after Masvidal 5-second KO; Maia on 3-fight losing streak before 3-fight win streak; grappling matchup of two all-time submission specialists)
✅ Result: Maia def. Askren via Submission (RNC) — R3, 3:54 (FIRST CAREER SUBMISSION of Askren; FotN $50k each; Askren made ‘bad decision’ to engage on ground in R3; Maia 3rd consecutive win)
Main Event: Maia’s RNC of Askren in Round Three
Rounds one and two were competitive and largely standing: Maia’s boxing produced some effective left hands and body kicks, while Askren’s pressure and forward wrestling threat limited Maia’s ground game opportunities. Two judges had the fight tied entering round three, with one judge giving Askren a round-two advantage. Askren was arguably winning round three as the middle of the round approached.
With approximately one minute remaining in round three, Askren secured a takedown and moved to Maia’s guard. Maia’s BJJ setup from the bottom was immediate: he worked to Askren’s back and applied the rear-naked choke. Askren’s post-fight description of the finish as a ‘bad decision’ — his choice to engage on the ground with the BJJ specialist when he was potentially winning on the feet — reflected a competitive self-assessment that acknowledged Maia’s submission quality as an unreasonable risk to accept. The RNC was the first submission of Askren’s career.
Gane’s Heel Hook PoN, Dariush’s RNC, Fiziev’s First Win & The Card
Ciryl Gane’s heel hook submission of Don’Tale Mayes at 4:46 of round three was his second UFC win and Performance of the Night. His Uruguay debut had produced an arm-triangle choke. His Singapore win produced a heel hook — two different submission techniques in two UFC fights, both at heavyweight, demonstrated the grappling variety that his subsequent HW career amplified. The heel hook from a heavyweight in a third-round ground exchange was a technically distinctive individual finish.
Beneil Dariush’s rear-naked choke of Frank Camacho at 2:02 of round one was his third consecutive win and Performance of the Night. Rafael Fiziev’s unanimous decision over Alex White was his first UFC win after his debut loss to Magomed Mustafaev at FN149 in Saint Petersburg in April 2019. Loma Lookboonmee’s UFC debut in the early prelims made her the first Thai fighter to compete in the promotion’s history.
Full Results
Main Card (ESPN+)
Demian Maia def. Ben Askren — Submission (RNC) — R3, 3:54 — WW (FotN $50k each; ASKREN’S FIRST CAREER SUBMISSION! Maia RNC from back control; Askren ‘bad decision’ to engage on ground in R3; Askren 2nd consecutive UFC loss)
Stevie Ray def. Michael Johnson — Majority Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28) — LW (close fight; one judge saw draw)
Beneil Dariush def. Frank Camacho — Submission (RNC) — R1, 2:02 — LW (PoN $50k; Dariush 3rd consecutive win; quick RNC from back control)
Ciryl Gane def. Don’Tale Mayes — Submission (heel hook) — R3, 4:46 — HW (PoN $50k; GANE’S 2ND UFC WIN via HEEL HOOK! After Uruguay arm-triangle debut; grappling variety demonstration; future HW interim champion!)
Muslim Salikhov def. Laureano Staropoli — Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 29-28) — WW
Preliminary Card (ESPN / ESPN+)
Randa Markos def. Ashley Yoder — Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) — Women’s SBW
Rafael Fiziev def. Alex White — Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) — LW (FIZIEV’S FIRST UFC WIN! After debut loss to Mustafaev at FN149 April 2019; future top-5 LW!)
Movsar Evloev def. Enrique Barzola — Unanimous Decision (29-28x3) — LW
Sergei Pavlovich def. opponent — HW (Pavlovich continuing HW career build; future HW title challenger!)
Note: Loma Lookboonmee made her UFC debut in the early prelims — FIRST THAI FIGHTER IN UFC HISTORY!
Bonuses & Awards
🥇 Fight of the Night: Demian Maia + Ben Askren — $50,000 each
🥇 Performance of the Night: Beneil Dariush + Ciryl Gane — $50,000 each
Records & Milestones
• Askren’s first career submission — the RNC from Maia in round three of Singapore.
• Loma Lookboonmee’s debut — first Thai fighter in UFC history.
• Gane’s heel hook after his Uruguay arm-triangle debut — two different submission techniques in two UFC appearances.
Legacy & Impact
Askren retired from professional MMA after Singapore, ending his career at 19-2 with losses only to Masvidal (5-second KO) and Maia (RNC R3). His two UFC losses were both by stoppage, with the first being the fastest KO in UFC history and the second his first career submission — a competitive conclusion that reflected the highest level of UFC WW opposition. Gane’s Singapore heel hook PoN continued the HW career that produced consecutive wins before the interim HW Championship at UFC 265 in August 2021.
Fiziev’s first UFC win opened the LW career that produced wins over Marc Diakiese, Jared Gordon, Bobby Green, and Renato Moicano before a top-five LW ranking. Dariush’s Singapore RNC PoN continued the LW career build that produced wins over Scott Holtzman, Frank Camacho (this fight), and others before top-five LW contendership. Loma Lookboonmee’s Singapore debut opened the UFC’s commercial relationship with Thailand as a developing MMA market.
FAQ
What was Askren’s career submission record before Singapore?
Askren was 19-0 professionally and 1-0 in the UFC entering Singapore, with his only UFC loss being the Masvidal flying knee KO at five seconds. His professional career before Singapore had produced zero submission losses: across NCAA wrestling, Bellator, ONE championship, and his UFC debut, no opponent had submitted him. Maia’s rear-naked choke at 3:54 of round three was the first submission of his career.
What was Askren’s ‘bad decision’?
With approximately one minute remaining in round three, Askren — potentially winning on the feet with both judges having seen the first two rounds as competitive — chose to shoot for a takedown. Taking the fight to the ground against the world’s most decorated submission-based WW competitor, with one minute remaining, when Askren was potentially ahead on the feet, was the tactical choice he subsequently described as a ‘bad decision.’ Maia’s transition to Askren’s back and RNC application was immediate.
What was Gane’s heel hook significance?
Heavyweight heel hooks are uncommon — the physical demands of the heel hook technique at heavyweight body weight make the leverage and positioning more difficult to achieve. Gane’s application in round three against Mayes — after having submitted Pessoa with an arm-triangle in his debut — demonstrated that his Muay Thai background had been developed alongside genuine grappling diversity. His two UFC submission wins used different techniques against different opponents.
What was Loma Lookboonmee’s historical significance?
Lookboonmee was a 24-year-old Chiang Rai, Thailand strawweight who had gone 5-1 professionally before Singapore. Her Singapore debut in the early prelims made her the first Thai fighter to compete in the UFC in the promotion’s 26-year history at that point. Thailand’s Muay Thai combat sports tradition had produced world-class kickboxers for decades; Lookboonmee’s UFC debut opened the promotional relationship with Thailand’s MMA market.
What was Maia’s career position after Singapore?
Maia was 37 years old after Singapore, with his career having produced a UFC MW Championship challenge against Anderson Silva and a UFC WW Championship challenge against Tyron Usman. His Singapore win was his third consecutive after a three-fight losing streak to Usman, Masvidal, and Ponzinibbio. His subsequent WW career produced wins over Gilbert Burns before eventual retirement.
What was Fiziev’s Singapore significance?
Fiziev was 25 years old at Singapore, competing in his second UFC fight after his debut loss to Mustafaev at FN149 in Saint Petersburg. His Singapore unanimous decision over White — 29-28, 30-27, 30-27 — demonstrated the Muay Thai kicking technique and combination quality that his subsequent career amplified. His first UFC win opened a 7-fight win streak that produced top-five LW rankings and a no-contest against Bobby Green.
References
Comments