Ben Askren-Bakhtiyar Abbasov to Headline One FC 16 ‘Honor & Glory’ in Singapore

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Former Bellator MMA welterweight champion Ben Askren now has a date and an opponent for his One Fighting Championship debut.

The promotion Monday announced that Askren will take on Azerbaijan’s Bakhtiyar Abbasov in the main event of One FC 16 “Honor and Glory,” set for May 30 at Singapore Indoor Stadium. The card also features ex-Strikeforce prospect Caros Fodor, who will meet the Netherlands’ Willy Ni in a lightweight bout.

Askren is unbeaten through 12 bouts in his MMA career, with the last four wins coming in defense of his Bellator title. The 29-year-old wrestling champion was granted his release from Bellator in November and was turned down by the UFC, leading to a deal with One FC. Prior to today’s announcement, Askren had stated that he would challenge for One FC’s welterweight title in his first appearance for the organization.

Abbasov, 28, has a lesser-known name than his opponent, though he holds a similar professional record at 11-2 and has won nine straight. An experienced judo player and combat sambo practitioner, Abbasov last saw MMA action in December, when he won a one-night tournament in Azerbaijan with a pair of first-round armbars.