VIDEO | Ben Askren stares down Demian Maia in Singapore

On October 26, the UFC will return to Singapore. The promotion’s latest stop in “The Lion City” will be topped by a dynamite welterweight matchup between former ONE and Bellator welterweight champ Ben Askren and two-time UFC title challenger Demian Maia. This bout has fans of the grappling arts very excited, as Askren is one of the best wrestlers in MMA, while Maia is arguably the best jiu jitsu specialist in the game.

This week, the two welterweight stars touched down in Singapore, where they squared off for the press.

Watch Askren and Maia come face-to-face for the first time below (via Champion Sports Productions on Twitter):

Battle for Best Grappler/Wrestler in all of MMA. HYPED! @Benaskren @demianmaia #UFCSingapore pic.twitter.com/RlI2kqnNi0

— Combat Sports Global (@ChampSportsProd) September 3, 2019

Ben Askren, who competed extensively in Singapore during his time with ONE Championship, will enter this fight with the mission of rebounding from a wild, five-second, flying knee knockout courtesy of Jorge Masvidal. This loss marked the first professional setback of his MMA career. Highlights of his unbeaten run include wins over Robbie Lawler, Andrey Koreshkov, Douglas Lima (twice) Zebaztian Kadestam and Jay Hieron.

Demian Maia, meanwhile, is on a two-fight streak, having recently defeated Lyman Good by submission and Anthony Rocco Martin by decision. Prior to these wins, he was riding a three-fight skid, having been defeated by Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington and Tyron Woodley.

Here is the entire UFC Singapore lineup as it currently stands:

• Ben Askren vs. Demian Maia
• Greg Hardy vs. Jarjis Danho
• Maurice Greene vs. Sergei Pavlovich
• Ciryl Gane vs. Don’Tale Mayes
• Stevie Ray vs. Michael Johnson

Who do you think will come out on top when Askren and Maia tangle in Singapore this October? Make your pick in the comments section.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 9/4/2019.