6 Takeaways From UFC Auckland
2. Ben Nguyen Is In The Mix At Flyweight
Tim Elliott took Demetrious Johnson five rounds back in December and won the first round in what was very much an upset in itself. Elliott's win over Louis Smolka in April was a sign that he was desperate to take advantage of his second chance in UFC.
Ben Nguyen should never leave Oceania ever again though. Moving to 4-1 in the UFC (4-0 in Oceania, with his lone loss in the US) with this win, Nguyen's 49 second rear-naked choke win surprised a lot of people, who were probably looking forward to 15 minutes of the little guys putting on a transition masterclass. Nguyen hurt him early with a high kick, took the back, and sunk in the choke.
While this win won't have him jumping the queue by any means for the next crack at Demetrious Johnson, this was a real eye opener, and he could be just one more win away from a title shot.