UFC Singapore live blog: Demian Maia vs. Ben Askren

This is the UFC Singapore live blog for Demian Maia vs. Ben Askren, a welterweight bout at Saturday’s UFC event at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore.

Maia, a two-time UFC title challenger who has won his last two fights, faces Askren, a former ONE and Bellator champion who is coming off of the first loss of his career, in the main event.

Check out the UFC Singapore live blog below.

Round 1: Maia comes out throwing powerful left straights. Thirty seconds in, Askren looks for the clinch, but Maia can shake him off. With a minute gone, Askren’s nose is already bloodied from Maia’s shots. As the clock wears on Maia seems to be having more success with tagging Askren with punches. Askren uses a clinch to land a knee on Maia, but Maia manages to disconnect again. At the midway point, Askren lands a couple of punches on his way into the clinch and begins to have more success in the exchanges. Askren continues to look for the clinch and when he establishes it, he lands a number of uppercuts. Maia lands a strong kick to Askren’s body and the it immediately marks the American’s torso. Askren lands a takedown with 50 seconds left on the clock. Maia attempts a straight arm lock from his guard. Askren finishes the round in top position landing shots to Maia’s torso.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Maia.

Round 2: Maia lands a straight left and Askren replied with a series of jab attempts. “Funky” seems to be trying to strike his way into clinches more in the second round. Maia lands a left straight but Askren replies with an uppercut, which damages Maia’s eye. As Maia continues to land the left straight, Askren continues to answer with his uppercut. As Maia looks to evade some strikes, he ends up eating several shots as he tries to get away from the fence. Askren is pushing the pace, constantly working his way into the exchanges with a jab. With just over a minute left on the clock, Askren lands a double leg takedown. Maia replies with a triangle attempt into an omaplata attempt to gain top position. Maia establishes mount, lands a number of shots before taking the back. Askren reverses the position but Maia looks to take a kimura. Askren finishes with round in top position.

MMA Fighting scores the round, 10-9 Maia.

Round 3: Askren immediately presses Maia against the fence and clinches, but Maia escapes. Askren scores a strong body lock takedown a minute in and lands in side control, but Maia eventually gets back to his feet. Askren lands a kick to the body and straight punch. Maia springs into life at the midway point, landing a knee to the body and another left hand. As Askren clinches, Maia knees him to the body again. Askren lands a single leg, but Maia attacks a heel hook. After Askren scrambles, Maia mounts him before taking his back. He switches to a body triangle before locking up a rear-naked choke. The choke renders Askren unconscious.

Official result: Demian Maia def. Ben Askren via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:54 of R3