Ben Nguyen or Nguyễn Ben, (born August 3, 1988) is an American

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

who competed as a

flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing up to and including 51 kg (112 lb) for a title fight. Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of boxin ...

in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

(UFC), where he compiled a record of 4–3 with the organization. He is also a former Nitro Bantamweight Champion and K-Oz Bantamweight Champion.

MMA career

Early career

Nguyen began his professional mixed martial arts career while working during the day as a computer technician. In 2012 he went to Thailand to attend Tiger Muay Thai & MMA Scholar Athlete program. He then moved to Brisbane, Australia fighting from there. Nguyen made his professional MMA debut in December 2006, losing his first fight. Over the next nearly eight years, he amassed a record of 14 wins against 5 losses and in the process became the Nitro Bantamweight Champion, K-Oz Bantamweight Champion and the number one Bantamweight in Australia in 2015. Nguyen achieved internet fame when his March 8, 2014 fight versus Julian Wallace surfaced on YouTube. Wallace attempted to intimidate Nguyen at the pre-fight weigh-ins by forcefully putting his fist against Nguyen's chin and trying to put Nguyen off his game. This tactic, however, proved ineffective as Nguyen knocked Wallace out within 25 seconds of the first round. The video of this fight went viral and has amassed over 58 million views on YouTube, and over 100 million views on Facebook and other social network platforms.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Nguyen made his promotional debut, facing Alptekin Özkılıç on May 10, 2015, at

UFC Fight Night 65 ''UFC Fight Night: Miocic vs. Hunt'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 65'') was a mixed martial arts event held on May 10, 2015 at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre in Adelaide, Australia. Background The event was the first that the promotion h ...

. He won the fight via KO in the first round. Nguyen faced

Ryan Benoit Ryan Benoit (born August 25, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist and bare knuckle boxer who competes in the Flyweight division. A professional competitor since 2009, he is currently signed to the BKFC and has competed for the Ultimate Fig ...

on November 15, 2015, at

UFC 193 ''UFC 193: Rousey vs. Holm'' was a mixed martial arts event held on November 14, 2015, at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. It was the most attended UFC event in the history of the company at the time, with 56,214 people filling the stadiu ...

. He won the fight via submission in the first round. Nguyen was expected to face

Justin Scoggins Justin Craig Scoggins (born May 2, 1992) is an American mixed martial artist and former full-contact kickboxer currently competing in the Rizin Fighting Federation. A professional mixed martial artist since 2010, Scoggins has previously competed ...

on March 20, 2016, at

UFC Fight Night 85 ''UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Mir'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 85'') was a mixed martial arts event held on March 20, 2016, at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia. Background The event was the second that the promotion ...

. However, Scoggins pulled out of the fight in the week leading up to the event citing injury. As a result, Nguyen was pulled from the card entirely. Nguyen next faced

Louis Smolka Louis Smolka (born July 16, 1991) is an American mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight (MMA), bantamweight division. A professional competitor since 2010, he has previously fought for the Ultimate Fighting Champ ...

on July 13, 2016, at

UFC Fight Night 91 ''UFC Fight Night: McDonald vs. Lineker'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 91'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on July 13, 2016, at Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Ba ...

. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round. Nguyen faced Geane Herrera on November 27, 2016, at

UFC Fight Night 101 ''UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 101'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on November 27, 2016, at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. Background Thi ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Nguyen was expected to face

Joseph Benavidez Joseph Rolando Benavidez (born July 31, 1984) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Flyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He fought for the UFC Flyweight championship four times. ...

on June 11, 2017, at

UFC Fight Night 110 ''UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Hunt'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 110'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on 11 June 2017 at the Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. Background The event was ...

. However, Benavidez pulled out of the fight on May 10 with a knee injury and was replaced by

Tim Elliott Timothy Samuel Elliott (born December 24, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Competing professionally since 2009, Elliott is the former Titan FC Flyweig ...

. He won the fight by submission due to a rear-naked choke in the first round. The win also earned him his first ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Nguyen faced

Jussier Formiga Jussier Formiga (born April 14, 1985) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division. A professional competitor since 2005, Formiga most notably competed in the UFC and is the former Shooto South America 123-pound cham ...

on February 11, 2018, at

UFC 221 ''UFC 221: Romero vs. Rockhold'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on February 11, 2018, at Perth Arena in Perth, Australia. Background While the UFC has hosted 11 previous events across t ...

. He lost the fight via technical submission in the third round due to a rear-naked choke. Nguyen faced

Wilson Reis Wilson Reis (born January 6, 1985) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division. Reis is the former EliteXC Bantamweight Champion and has also competed for UFC, Bellator, ShoXC and Cage Warriors. Reis also appeared ...

on December 2, 2018, at

UFC Fight Night 142 ''UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Tuivasa'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 142'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on December 2, 2018 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre in Adelaide, Au ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision and was subsequently released from the promotion.

Rizin Fighting Federation

On January 31, 2019

Rizin Fighting Federation Rizin Fighting Federation (stylised in all caps and also known as Rizin FF) is a Japanese mixed martial arts organization created in 2015 by the former Pride Fighting Championships and Dream Stage Entertainment president Nobuyuki Sakakibara. ...

announced Nguyen had signed for the promotion. He faced

Kyoji Horiguchi is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He most recently competed in Rizin FF in the Flyweight division, where he was a former RIZIN Flyweight Champion and former RIZIN Bantamweight Championsh ...

in a 132-pound catchweight bout on April 21, 2019, at Rizin 15. Nguyen lost the fight via TKO in the first round.

Personal life

Nguyen's hometown is Sioux Falls,

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

. Nguyen said that he started

Taekwondo Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...

when he was twelve years old after he was bullied in school by both

White American White Americans (sometimes also called Caucasian Americans) are Americans who identify as white people. In a more official sense, the United States Census Bureau, which collects demographic data on Americans, defines "white" as " person having ...

and

Black American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

students. After high school, he went to college to become an engineer but then he switched paths to follow his dream of becoming an MMA fighter. Nguyen met his wife, Brisbane kickboxer April Adams, while training in Thailand, eventually following her to make Brisbane his home. They married in late 2015. In a 2015 video, Nguyen said that he owns two cats which were both about a year old. Nguyen said that he likes cars and motorcycles. Ben is a fan of the anime ''

Hajime no Ippo is a Japanese boxing-themed manga series written and illustrated by George Morikawa. It has been serialized by Kodansha in the manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' since October 1989, with its chapters collected in 143 volum ...

''. He's said that the show had been an inspiration to him as long as he's been fighting. He uses "Inner Light," one of the anime's opening songs, as his intro song for his fights.

Championships and accomplishments

** Performance of the Night (One time) vs.

**UFC.com Awards ***2015: Ranked #10 Newcomer of the Year *Nitro MMA **Nitro MMA Bantamweight Champion (One Time) **One successful title defense

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 18–9 ,

, KO (punches) , Rizin 15 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:53 ,

Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

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, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Tuivasa , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

, Australia , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–7 ,

, Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:43 ,

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

, Australia , , - , Win , align=center, 18–6 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Hunt , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:49 ,

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

, New Zealand , , - , Win , align=center, 17–6 , Geane Herrera , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, Australia , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–6 ,

, TKO (punches and elbows) , UFC Fight Night: McDonald vs. Lineker , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:41 ,

Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls ( ) is the List of cities in South Dakota, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the List of United States cities by population, 117th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha Coun ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–5 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:35 ,

, Australia , , - , Win , align=center, 15–5 ,

Alp Ozkilic Alp Ozkilic, full name Alptekin Özkılıç (born March 27, 1986) is a Turkish-American mixed martial artist, who formerly competed as a Flyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, Özkılıç ...

, TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Miocic vs. Hunt , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:59 ,

, Australia , , - , Win , align=center, 14–5 , Reece McLaren , Decision (unanimous) , Nitro MMA 12 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Logan City The City of Logan is a local government area (LGA) located in the south of Greater Brisbane in South East Queensland (SEQ), Australia. Situated between the City of Brisbane to the north and the City of Gold Coast to the south, the City of Lo ...

, Australia , , - , Win , align=center, 13–5 , Julian Wallace , KO (punch) , Nitro MMA 11 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:25 ,

, Australia , , - , Win , align=center, 12–5 , Shantaram Maharaj , Submission (rear-naked choke) , K-Oz Entertainment – Bragging Rights 6: Night of Titles , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:58 , Madeley, Australia , , - , Win , align=center, 11–5 , Luke Morris , Decision (unanimous) , K.O. Martial Arts: Adrenalin-Unleashed , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Eatons Hill Eatons Hill is a Suburbs and localities (Australia), suburb in the City of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. In the , Eatons Hill had a population of 7,822 people. Its postcode is 4037. Geography South Pine River forms most of the souther ...

, Australia , , - , Win , align=center, 10–5 , Kian Pham , TKO (punches) , Australia Regional , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:48 ,

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

, Australia , , - , Win , align=center, 9–5 , Greg Penaloza , TKO (doctor stoppage) , Roshambo MMA 1: In the Cage , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Australia , , - , Win , align=center, 8–5 , Andrew Whitney , Submission (armbar) , The Cage Inc.: Battle at the Border 9 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:48 ,

Hankinson, North Dakota Hankinson is a city in Richland County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 921 at the 2020 census. Hankinson was founded in 1886. It is part of the Wahpeton, ND– MN Micropolitan Statistical Area. History A post office has been ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–5 , Chavalit Sityodtong , TKO (punches) , Martial Combat 7 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, N/A ,

Sentosa Sentosa Island ( ), known mononymously as Sentosa, is an island located off the southern coast of Singapore's main island. The island is separated from the main island of Singapore by a channel of water, the Keppel Harbour, and is adjacent to ...

, Singapore , , - , Win , align=center, 7–4 , Laramie Shaffer , TKO (doctor stoppage) , OFC: Battle at Huset's Speedway , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Brandon, South Dakota Brandon is a city in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, United States. Brandon is located five miles east of Sioux Falls. The population was 11,048 as of the 2020 census. History A post office called Brandon has been in operation since 1878. The c ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–4 , Josh Phillips , TKO (punches) , The Cage Inc.: Battle at the Border 5 , , align=center, 4 , align=center, 3:51 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–3 , Eric Perez , TKO (punches) , Canadian Fighting Championship 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:20 ,

Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

, Canada , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–2 , Alexis Vila , KO (punch) , PFC: Best of Both Worlds , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:34 ,

Lemoore, California Lemoore (formerly La Tache and Lee Moore's) is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of . It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 252 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , Danny Schroder , TKO (corner stoppage) , TCI: Fight Hunger , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:07 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Nate Hansen , Submission (triangle choke) , The Cage Inc.: Summer Slam 4 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:30 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Nick Holbrook , KO (punches) , Fury Fights: Battle in Brookings 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:36 ,

Brookings, South Dakota Brookings is a city in and the county seat of Brookings County, South Dakota, Brookings County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 23,377 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in South Dakota, fo ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Mitch Wisner , TKO (punches) , Fury Fights: Temple Fight Night 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Chuck Page , KO (elbows) , Fury Fights: Temple Fight Night 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:12 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1 , Jess Fuhriman , KO (punches) , Fury Fights: Battle in Brookings 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:34 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 , Austin Peterson , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Fury Fights: Battle in Brookings 1 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:58 ,

, United States , , -

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nguyen, Ben Living people 1988 births American male mixed martial artists Flyweight mixed martial artists American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu American male Muay Thai practitioners American people of Vietnamese descent American male taekwondo practitioners Mixed martial artists from South Dakota Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai Mixed martial artists utilizing taekwondo Mixed martial artists utilizing judo Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Sportspeople from Sioux Falls, South Dakota American expatriate sportspeople in Australia American male kickboxers American male judoka American emigrants to Australia Sportspeople of Vietnamese descent Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters