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MANILA, Philippines – Former Bellator MMA welterweight champion Ben Askren is set have his ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) debut in the main event of the organization’s 16th fight card billed as “Honor & Glory” on May 30.
ONE FC officials publicly confirmed the fight booking last April 7, and it will take place at the 12,000-seater Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Askren was originally penciled to challenge for the promotion’s welterweight strap, but current titleholder Nobutatsu Suzuki is still recuperating from his grueling five-round battle vs Brock Larson at ONE FC: War of Heroes in March.
The four-time NCAA Division I All-American sports an impressive record of 12-0 and is universally recognized as one of the best 170-pound competitors in the world today.
After the announcement of his departure from Bellator MMA, Askren was expected to join the ranks of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
However, UFC president Dana White shocked everyone by proclaiming he was not interested to recruit Askren.
Despite having a lucrative offer from World Series of Fighting, Askren opted to sign a multi-fight deal with ONE FC this past December.
In addition, the 29-year-old grappler from Milwaukee, Wisconsin joined t he Evolve Fight Team, which is based in Singapore.
The Evolve Fight Team is widely regarded as the most decorated professional combat squad in Asia with names such as ONE FC lightweight champion Shinya Aoki, Rafael Dos Anjos, Leandro Issa and Eddie Ng.
For his first assignment as a ONE FC fighter, Askren will slug it out with one-time Pro FC middleweight Bakhtiyar Abbasov.
An experienced judo player and combat sambo practitioner, Abbasov (11-2) is riding high on a nine-fight winning streak, which includes eight victories by stoppage. Moreover, the 5-foot-10 combatant from Azerbaijan will be dropping down to the welterweight division for his initial ONE FC appearance against Askren.
Aside from the Askren-Abbasov clash, Asia’s largest mixed martial arts company also announced two more bouts for ONE FC: Honor & Glory.
Strikeforce veteran Caros Fodor (8-4) locks horns with Willy Ni (15-8) in a lightweight scuffle, while 205-pound mauler Jake Butler (3-1) faces New Zealand’s Pane Haraki (3-2). – Rappler.com
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