Ben Askren retirement fight vs. Shinya Aoki
Welterweight champion Ben Askren will defend his title vs. Shinya Aoki at ONE Championship: Immortal Pursuit in Singapore on November 24.
ONE Championship founder Chatri Sityodtong has announced that welterweight champion Ben Askren will defend his title vs. Shinya Aoki at ONE Championship: Immortal Pursuit in Singapore on November 24. Win or lose, Askren will retire after the fight, and take an executive position in the company.
A Div I wrestling champion, 2008 Olympian in wrestling, and former world ranked Frisbee Golf player (really 😉 Askren is along with Fedor Emelianenko, one of the great fighters to never compete in the UFC. He has maintained for years that he was perfectly content fighting in ONE, and that is where his career will end. Undefeated in 18 fights, with one No Contest for an eye poke, Askren will be the favorite heading into the fight with Aoki.
Aoki is one of the greatest grapplers in the history of mixed martial arts. A lifelong Judo, Aoki developed an interest in Kosen Judo, which, like Jiu-Jitsu, places a greater emphasis on ground fighting. He earned a black belt in BJJ from Yuki Nakai, and is an A-class Shoot wrestler (Catch wrestler).
Aoki is 39-7, with one No Contest. Tobikan Judan (The Grand Master of Flying Submissions) is coming off the loss of his lightweight title to Eduard Folayang at ONE 45 on November 11, 2016, but had been on a nine-fight streak prior to that. While Askren will be the favorite, if ever there was a fighter who could win a fight by submission out of nowhere, this is it. And Aoki’s submission style is so exotic, the best way to prepare for him might be grappling two skilled submission stylists at the same time.
