Ben Askren will be making his return to the octagon in September, according to Ariel Helwani of ESPN, though it’s unclear what event the former ONE Welterweight Champion will be fighting in. The formerly undefeated welterweight will take on Demian Maia.
Askren is coming off his first loss in mixed martial arts, as the welterweight was soundly defeated by Jorge Masvidal with a flying knee within five seconds. Prior to his bout against Masvidal, the Iowa native managed to win 19 of his bouts from various promotions such as ONE, Bellator, and his debut fight against Robbie Lawler in the UFC. Askren’s professional record stands at 19 wins, 1 loss, and 1 no contest.
Demian Maia enters the bout on a two-fight winning streak, defeating Lyman Good and Anthony Rocco Martin. The ten-year plus veteran has defeated the likes of Chael Sonnen, Jorge Masdival, and Matt Brown throughout his storied career and has multiple performance of the night awards. Maia’s current professional record stands at 27 wins and 9 losses.
The UFC currently has four events scheduled for the month of September, beginning with the UFC 242 show on September 7 and ending with the UFC Fight Night Copenhagen card on September 28.