UFC Fight Night 162 - Singapore Breakdown & Predictions
When is UFC Fight Night 162? Saturday 26th October, 2019 - 23:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 162? Singapore Indoor Stadium, Kallang, Singapore
What channel is UFC Fight Night 162? BT Sport 3
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 162? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ which can you sign up to here!
Are tickets still available for UFC Fight Night 162? https://www.ufc.com/tickets
Demian Maia vs Ben Askren
Singapore hosts UFC Fight Night 162 and a card headlined by two of the best grapplers in the game – Demian Maia and Ben Askren.
The stalwart Maia makes his 31st appearance (21-9) and is coming off two wins this year. He racked up his 13th submission back in February against Lyman Good and is coming off a hard-fought decision over Rocco Martin.
These wins came off the back of three straight losses including a title fight against Tyron Woodley who provided the blueprint in beating the jiu-jitsu ace. He used his wrestling and strength to fend off relentless take down attempts and walk away with an uneventful decision in which Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman followed suit.
Now steps up Askren, who is an Olympic wrestler and eager to show off his skills. Especially after suffering the fastest ever knockout in the UFC and what will surely become one of the most memorable knockouts ever. Defending his unbeaten record, he took on Jorge Masvidal who threw the ‘Hail Mary’ in running straight at Askren and catching him perfectly with a flying knee sparking him out cold.
PREDICTION
After seeing Maia maul his way through seven high-calibre opponents and then see him get completely subdued by top wrestlers, Askren will surely emulate their feats especially as he is an even better wrestler than Woodley, Covington and Usman. However, the question will be whether he will just try to defend the attacks from Maia or decide to tangle with him on the mat.
Askren is desperate to get back in the winning column after his humiliation and knows Maia’s route to victory is getting him on his back or flattening him out to set up a submission. So, expect Askren to assume top control for the majority of the fight to ride out a decision.
Winner: Askren via Decision
Michael Johnson vs Stevie Ray
Two UFC veterans meet in Singapore desperate for some momentum as Michael Johnson and Stevie Ray duke it out in what should be a thrilling scrap.
Johnson has an array of qualities, but consistency is not one of them. He has wins over the likes of Joe Lauzon, Gleison Tibau, Dustin Poirier and is the last man to beat Tony Ferguson but he is 3-6 in his last nine. He has fought killers such as Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje but squeaked out decisions against Andre Fili and Artem Lobov to pick up some much-needed wins. He then looked great against Josh Emmett in his last fight but got caught with a vicious knockout in the third round.
Stevie Ray is also struggling for form, losing three of his last four. He got elbowed out of consciousness by Paul Felder and then lost a tight decision to Kajan Johnson. He bounced back with a decision win over Jessin Ayari but in his last fight, Leanardo Santos cleaned his clock with a hellacious right hand.
PREDICTION
This will be a high-level contest which will mainly be conducted on the feet. Ray has the power advantage and will be more than willing to tangle on the canvas. However, if Johnson shows up confident and performs like he did against Emmett before getting caught he should have the speed to out-land and class to out-point the Scotsman if the fight goes the distance.
Winner: Johnson via Decision
Frank Camacho vs Beneil Dariush
Two crafty veterans showcase their abundance of talent in Singapore with Frank Camacho looking to claim more scalps at lightweight and Beneil Dariush looking to make it three wins in a row.
The Guam native stepped back down to lightweight after losing two fights in a row up at welterweight. He lost a decision to Drew Dober and then almost got his head kicked off by Geoff Neal in what was a devastating knockout. However, he responded in true Camacho fashion in his last fight by finishing Nick Hein to pick up his 17th knockout.
Dariush has all the skills but as soon as he starts to pick up some momentum, he suffers a loss. Losses come with the territory of being a top UFC lightweight but after earning a decision over Thiago Moises and a ‘Performance of the Night’ submission over Dober in his last fight, he will go all out to add Camacho to the victim sheet.
PREDICTION
This should be a fascinating battle wherever it goes. They are both assassins on the mat. Dariush is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu with seven submission wins and Camacho is a world champion but prefers to get the job done with his hands.
They will respect each other’s ground skills which is likely to force the majority of the fight on the feet. Camacho will hunt the knockout whereas Dariush will be more technical looking to break Camacho down, and considering how many shots Camacho eats he is unlikely to outpoint the Iranian.
Winner: Dariush via Decision
Ciryl Gane vs Don’Tale Mayes
Ciryl Gane and Don’Tale Mayes provide an explosive clash in Singapore hoping to make a big statement in the heavyweight division.
Gane is a French specimen at the start of his MMA career. He won his first three fights for TKO MMA, the Canadian promotion, with a submission and two knockouts. Recognising a talent, the UFC have snapped him up already and after submitting Raphael Pessoa with an arm-triangle on his debut, big things are expected from the newcomer.
Mayes makes his UFC debut after two impressive knockouts on Dana White’s Contender Series making up for getting finished by Allen Crowder on his first appearance on the series back in 2017. He has clearly made some adjustments as he looks more polished, coming off three wins and two colossal knockouts over Mitchell Sipe and Ricardo Prasel.
PREDICTION
Both men are absolute tanks and go out to finish every fight. Mayes looked incredibly dangerous in his last two outings and Gane has assaulted all four of his opponents, but is yet to face a stern test.
Gane has more in his arsenal and has an impressive and varied attack range. His cardio will also be an advantage and he is likely to have too much for Mayes as long as he can avoid the bombs. A finish is most likely and will probably happen due to ground-and-pound or a submission.
Winner: Gane via KO/TKO
Muslim Salikhov vs Laureano Staropoli
Muslim Salikhov and Laureano Staropoli support the main event in Singapore planning to continue their ascension up the welterweight division.
Salikhov is a kickboxing legend and incredibly accomplished martial artist who arrived to the UFC with a tremendous amount of hype. However, he lost his debut against Alex Garcia who caught him in a rear-naked choke to hand him his first MMA loss but he showed his character in his last two fights by bouncing back with two devastating knockouts over Ricky Rainey and Nordine Taleb.
A man who was also accompanied by a lot of hype is the Argentinian Staropoli who, after losing his third pro fight, is now on a seven-fight winning streak with two unanimous decisions over Hector Aldana and Thiago Alves in his UFC outings.
PREDICTION
This could easily be a ‘Fight of the Night’ contender as these are two stand-up specialists with knockout power, especially Salikhov who is a weapon on the feet. Staropoli looks like an exceptional talent but will have to display the grappling elements of his game. If his strategy is to stand and trade with the Russian his night could come to a painful end.
Winner: Salikhov via KO/TKO
Striking and grappling stats sourced via FightMetric.