Ben Askren will indeed be making his appearance at ONE FC’s Honor and Glory. However, he will not be taking on current welterweight champion, Nobutatsu Suzuki, as fans had previously thought. Instead, “The Funky One” will face Azerbaijani wrestler, Bakhtiyar Abbasov, who will also be making his ONE debut at Honor and Glory.
Askren fans may not relish waiting for their hero’s second attempt at MMA gold, but anyone expecting an easy victory for the former, Bellator champion had better be prepared to swallow a nice, bitter helping of disappointment. Abbasov is a former judo, jiu-jitsu, and sambo champion whose extensive experience in numerous grappling arts can easily keep the wrestle-happy Askren at bay.
Furthermore, Abbasov is not going to take things slowly with The Funky One. The twenty-eight-year-old Baku native has finished all but one of his nine wins in the first or second round. If Askren doesn’t stay on his toes, he can expect an early night.
ONE FC’s Honor and Glory will be held on May 30th at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Fans who can’t be there can watch all of the action live on LiveSport.tv.
