5 biggest takeaways from UFC on ESPN+ 20: Disaster for Ben Askren, magic for Demian Maia and more

What mattered most at UFC on ESPN+ 20 in Singapore? Here are a few post-fight musings …

* * * * *

1. Ben Askren’s disastrous UFC run

Let’s be frank: This run in the UFC has not been kind to Ben Askren (19-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC). Outside of his mouth, he’s failed to live up to pretty much all the hype that was around him when he finally joined the promotion, and he’s only had a few successful moments through three UFC fights.

Askren’s submission loss to Demian Maia marked the time to put his brief UFC run under the microscope. He debuted in March with an undefeated record after 18 fights, and while he technically beat Robbie Lawler at UFC 235, he took a lot of punishment and was on the cusp of being finished before a wild reversal of fortune saw him get a submission win despite Lawler never tapping out.

There’s no need to rehash what happened with Jorge Masvidal after that. The five-second loop of Askren being stopped with the quickest knockout in UFC history has been endlessly replayed over the past three months, but everyone loses eventually, and it was acceptable for Askren to write off the outcome as him being caught with a unpredictable shot.

The loss to Maia will be much harder to digest, though. Askren was placed in what should’ve been a good stylistic matchup against another grappler, and while he had some moments, Maia had the more impactful performance, ending with him choking Askren out cold.

Is Askren officially a bust? It’s still too soon to say. There’s may positive and negative implications to his presence inside the octagon that can be discusses in more depth at a later date. His bank account has more cushion than it would’ve otherwise, but in terms of results only, it’s certain this isn’t what Askren envisioned for himself in the UFC.