Ben Askren announces Demian Maia fight in October is 'done deal'
A late October fight will pit the UFC newbie with one of the organization’s winningest fighters in a welterweight match.
Ben Askren announced Tuesday on Twitter he will fight Demian Maia on Oct. 26. Askren, who will be taking part in his third UFC fight, said it was a “done deal.”
Done deal! Oct 26 we will find out who the best MMA grappler on planet earth is. pic.twitter.com/mzExZDg7MK
— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) August 20, 2019
The fight has been in the works and will likely headline UFC Singapore, which is scheduled for that day at Singapore Indoor Stadium. MMA Junkie reported that sources confirmed agreements are in place.
Askren (19-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is a two-time NCAA wrestling champion for the University of Missouri who made the finals of the 174-pound weight class all four years. He joined the UFC a year ago after professional titles in ONE Championship and Bellator.
The 35-year-old ranks No. 6 in the USA Today/MMA Junkie welterweight rankings and is coming off his first loss in 20 matches at UFC 239, a five-second knockout by Jorge Masvidal.
Maia (27-9 MMA, 21-9 UFC) holds the second-most wins in UFC history and is two away from tying Donald Cerrone’s 23. He comes into the match ranked No. 14 with back-to-back victories.
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