On Saturday evening, the UFC returned to our screens with UFC Auckland, an exciting 11-fight card that broadcasted live from Auckland, New Zealand. In the second bout of the main card, we were treated to a clash of ranked flyweights, as recent title challenger Tim Elliott collided with Australia’s Ben Nguyen.
To say this one was a blowout for Australia’s Nguyen would be an understatement.
Moments after the opening bell rang, Nguyen rattled his foe with a head-kick, and sent the fight to the mat. After a brief scramble, Nguyen took his crafty foe’s back, and succeeded where even UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson failed by locking up a beautifully applied rear-naked choke for the win. The tap occurred at the 49-second mark of the first round.
See the finish below:
SUBMISSION! @Ben10MMA with the rear-naked choke on @TElliott125 for the huge win! #UFCAuckland https://t.co/nVDOde5Yqc
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) June 11, 2017
With this win, Nguyen builds on the momentum of a decision defeat of Geane Herrera. He’s now 18-6 overall.
Elliott, on the other hand, returns to the loss column after an impressive defeat of Louis Smolka. The former title challenger is now 14-8-1 overall.
Do you think Ben Nguyen could soon be contender for the UFC flyweight title?
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 6/10/2017.