Ben Nguyen

Ben Nguyen is a Sioux Falls native who traded a career as a computer technician for the fight game, eventually becoming a fixture on the global MMA circuit. After years building a record and titles on the Australian and international regional scene, Nguyen achieved viral fame in 2014 when he knocked out Julian Wallace in just 25 seconds on YouTube, racking up tens of millions of views. That momentum carried him into the UFC in 2015, where he made an immediate impression: a submission specialist with a gift for the rear-naked choke, Nguyen rattled off wins over Ryan Benoit and Tim Elliott (the latter earning him a Performance of the Night bonus in 2017) to establish himself as a credible flyweight prospect.

Nguyen's style is built on aggression and finishing instinct, particularly on the ground. He lands takedowns opportunistically and hunts submissions with patience and precision, especially the choke that has become his calling card. When submissions don't come, he's content to trade volume and grind through rounds, compiling decision wins on the scorecard. His striking is solid but secondary; the real threat lies in his willingness to wrestle and his cage awareness once scrambling begins.

However, Nguyen's tenure at the sport's highest level exposed a gap between him and elite-level competition. A 2018 loss to top contender Jussier Formiga (also by submission) signaled the ceiling of his rise, and a subsequent decision loss to Wilson Reis saw him cut from the UFC. He has since competed for Rizin and other global promotions, becoming a steady veteran who brings reliable submission threats and gritty action rather than title-contending performances. Fans who appreciate old-school ground fighting and submission craftsmanship will find plenty to like, even as Nguyen has settled into the role of journeyman veteran grinding out a living in the cage.