Dong Hyun Ma

Dong Hyun Ma, nicknamed "The Maestro," is a South Korean mixed martial artist who carved out a long career as a high-volume lightweight striker, competing across Asia before joining the UFC in 2015. Ma brought eight years of seasoning from Road FC, Deep, and other regional promotions into the octagon, arriving as a 13-6-3 journeyman who would go on to build a 16-11-3 overall record. Though he never reached title contention, Ma earned respect and a memorable spot in 2016 fight-of-the-year conversation for his epic third-round knockout loss to Polo Reyes at UFC 199, a back-and-forth war that earned him Fight of the Night honors.

Ma fights as a distance striker, landing 79% of his significant strikes from standing range while maintaining solid 55% striking defense. He compiles volume and control rather than knockout power, with a willingness to stay in the pocket and trade that makes his fights entertaining but sometimes leaves him vulnerable to heavy-handed opponents. His career peak came in September 2017 when he upset former PRIDE star Takanori Gomi with a first-round TKO, proving he could execute on the biggest stages.

The latter half of Ma's UFC tenure was marked by physical wear. A weight miss of 2 pounds against Scott Holtzman in August 2019 forced a catchweight fight he lost via doctor stoppage due to severe eye swelling. After a unanimous decision loss to Omar Morales in December 2019, Ma and the UFC parted ways in March 2020. Now 36 and still active in MMA, Ma remains the archetype of the crafty veteran journeyman: durable, skilled, entertaining in defeat, and a fighter whose octagon battles are more memorable than his win-loss record suggests.