Maia submits Askren at UFC Fight Night 162

Demian Maia defeated Ben Askren with a third-round submission during the main event of UFC Fight Night 162 in Singapore on Saturday.

Considered one of the best grapplers in MMA, Maia kept the fight off the ground early to avoid Askren's supposedly elite wrestling skills.

After getting Maia to the ground near the end of the second round without much success on the mat, Askren took the Brazilian down again midway through the third with an impressive display of that wrestling prowess.

But Maia quickly used the takedown to his advantage, contorting his body to get behind his opponent before finishing him with a rear-naked choke that appeared to momentarily knock Askren out.

The win was the third in a row for the 10th-ranked Maia, who pushed his UFC record to 22-9. Saturday's result could help the 41-year-old climb the welterweight rankings if he decides to continue fighting.

Askren, meanwhile, lost his second straight fight after taking Jorge Masvidal's iconic five-second, flying-knee knockout in July. Ranked No. 11 in the welterweight division before facing Maia, the 34-year-old now has a 1-2 record in the UFC. He'd gone 18-0 before joining the promotion in a highly publicized trade with ONE Championship.