This article is part of our Fight Stat Wrap series.
The main event of UFC Singapore did turn out to be the grappling that everyone wanted, as there were long periods of awkward standup striking. However, in the end, Demian Maia got it done on the floor against Ben Askren. The rest of the main card features some standout performances and a questionable decision. The following is a by-the-numbers recap that highlights the stats and milestones that stood out on the main card, with stats courtesy of UFCStats.com.
Demian Maia shows diverse ground game on the way to submission win over Ben Askren
Obviously Maia is a master of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but going into this fight, he had scored only six reversals in his entire UFC career. In theory, Askren could score takedowns, avoid submissions from the top position, and take home a decision. That did not turn out to be the case in this fight. Askren did score four of his seven takedown attempts. However, Maia was able to score reversals off those takedowns. Both times, he passed guard right away. The second time, he quickly moved to the back and handed Askren his first submission defeat.
It was a masterful performance from Maia, who now has a record nine rear-naked choke finishes in the UFC. He previously had the record with eight, and he has now expanded upon that mark.
Maia finished with 101.5 points on DraftKings. He earned points via his 69 landed significant strikes, four passes on the ground, two reversals and the third-round finish bonus. He was one of four fighters to finish with over 100 points on the card.
Stevie Ray edges Michael Johnson via majority decision
There was some questionable judging on display here. Johnson led the striking battle after two rounds. He outlanded Ray 64 to 48, and he appeared to be on his way to a decision victory. However, the third round was a different story. Ray scored a takedown, passed to the back and then unloaded with 28 significant ground strikes. It would not be a stretch to say that Ray deserved a 10-8 third round. In the end, one of the judges had a 28-28 score, while another had it 29-28 for Ray.
As is usually the case with questionable decisions, Ray finished with the lowest score among winning fighters on DraftKings. His 57 points was even behind Askren, who scored 59.5 points in a losing effort in the main event.
Beneil Dariush made quick work of Frank Camacho
Dariush had perhaps the most dominant performance of the night. He was able to quickly score 13 significant strikes, register a pair of takedowns, pass to the back and finish the fight via rear-naked choke submission. Camacho is not Dariush's toughest opponent in any sense. However, he was coming off a 100-significant-strike performance against Nick Hein and appeared to have some momentum. This was the fastest submission finish for Dariush since he made his UFC debut against Charlie Brenneman in 2014.
Dariush finished with the third-highest score of the night on DraftKings. His 109.5 points were only a half of a point behind Sergei Pavlovich, who also had a first-round finish on the undercard.
Ciryl Gane shows off against Don'Tale Mayes
Despite coming from a kickboxing background, Gane continues to show off some submission skills. With this finish, he became only the third heavyweight in UFC to win via heel hook. He also showed that he was the better striker in this fight. He outlanded Mayes 94 to 32 and scored a second-round knockdown. At this rate, Gane should find himself against a high profile opponent very soon.
Gane had by far the highest score of the night on DraftKings. He finished with 120 points based on 94 significant strikes, one pass, three takedowns, a knockdown and the third-round finish bonus. Most heavyweights have the potential to put up high scores due to quick finishes. However, Gane showed that he can do it by filling up the stat sheet.
Muslim Salikhov controls the pace against Laureano Staropoli
Pace was a big issue for Staropoli in this fight. He clearly allowed himself to fight at the slow pace of Salikhov. This limited his opportunities, and it allowed Salikhov to unleash his assault of exotic spinning kicks. In the end, Salikhov had the advantage 63 to 42 in the striking game. He also mixed in some takedowns as he finished with three. Staropoli also tried to take the fight to the floor, but he failed on all three of his attempts.
While the reduced pace helped Salikhov handily win the fight, it did not do any favors for the folks who picked him on DraftKings. He finished with only 76.5 points. That was the eighth highest score of the night.
