Ben Nguyen: The Best Is Yet To Come

Coming into his fight opposite former title challenger Wilson Reis in December’s UFC Fight Night 142 card in Adelaide, Australia, the promotion’s 12th-ranked flyweight knew he was walking on eggshells. Barely a month before “Ben 10” marched into the Octagon for the 7th time, the Ultimate Fighting Championship had “traded” the division’s most successful and recognizable figure in Demetrious Johnson to One Championship, and the organization seemed intent on shuttering the division -- handing out pink slips to veterans and prospects alike.

Nguyen, who was signed by the UFC in 2015 after footage of his 25-second KO of Julian Wallace went viral and had put together a 4-2 record with the promotion…