Ben Askren has no intention of giving up welterweight gold in career’s final bout

Ben “Funky” Askren isn’t just the reigning ONE Welterweight World Champion, but he is also universally recognized as one of the best welterweights in the entire world.

Askren is highly regarded for his outstanding wrestling background that earned him two NCAA Division I national championship trophies and the privilege to represent the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Growing up in the Midwestern United States, a region traditionally known as a hotbed for amateur wrestling, Askren was motivated by the spirit of competition and wanted to participate in a sport where he could be the master of his own fate.

Askren had long planned switch to mixed martial arts and conquer that sport once he hung up his wrestling boots.

Following his 2008 Olympic campaign, Askren made the transition and has flawlessly translated his exemplary grappling skills into his growing skillset.

In his eight-year run as a professional martial artist, Askren holds an immaculate standing of 17-0, 1 No Contest, owning five submission victories and five knockout triumphs.

The 33-year-old American will step into the cage for the very last time on Friday, 24 November as he defends his coveted title against former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki in the main event of ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT, which takes place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore.

Coming off masterful performance against talented challengers such as Agilan Thani and Zebaztian Kadestam in 2017, Askren looks to cap off a momentous year and an illustrious career with one last title defense versus a tough opponent like Aoki.

“Shinya is a really good final opponent. Obviously, he is a legend of the sport, and he is a really big challenge on the ground, which is where I like to compete, personally. I am excited for this bout,” he said about his marquee match-up with Aoki.

Askren revealed that he did not think a match with Aoki was an option, considering the 34-year-old Tokyo, Japan native is an Evolve MMA teammate.

However, Askren admitted that the more he thought about it, the more he loved the idea of sharing a martial arts platform with Aoki.

“He is a grappler and has a great skill set that I respect, so I think it will be a great battle,” Askren quipped.

Known by his cage moniker “Tobikan Judan” or “The Grandmaster of Flying Submissions” due to his spectacular submission victories, Aoki is widely regarded as the most dominant lightweight in Asia for the better part of the last decade as he has had 47 professional bouts and strutted his wares in various promotions.

In addition, Aoki proudly owns black belts in both Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and has won an astonishing 25 of his 39 matches via submission.

Even with Aoki’s accomplishments and his dynamic grappling pedigree, which vastly contrasts from the American’s approach in the cage, Askren guaranteed that he will continue to employ his signature game plan of wrestling his opponent to the ground and using an impeccable top game to finish off his opposition.

“I said from day one that I am the best in the world at what I do, and this is what I am going to do every single time. I have been saying that since I started in 2009, and I believe it more strongly than ever because I have proved it 17 times now, and I am pumped to prove it again,” he stated.

Askren maintained that he has no intentions of giving up his gold-plated strap to Aoki as he collides with the Japanese submission wizard at ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT.

“He’s going to stick around until I put him out,” the undefeated ONE Welterweight World Champion declared with confidence.

​

​For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1 billion potential viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

*This is Press Release

Martin Nguyen Scores 2nd Round Knockout to Capture Lightweight Crown from Eduard Folayang

The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), had another memorable and historic evening in Manila as the capacity crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena witnessed an amazing display of heart-pounding martial arts action. ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD featured a series of compelling bouts, punctuated by two unforgettable championship clashes that left fans on the edge of their seats. In the main event, ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen knocked out Filipino martial arts superstar Eduard “Landslide” Folayang to capture the ONE Lightweight World Championship, becoming the first two-division champion in the promotion’s history. In the co-main event, Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes of Brazil retained the ONE Flyweight World Championship with a quick victory over Danny “The King” Kingad of the Philippines.

Visit the official ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD photo gallery by clicking: http://bit.ly/onephotos

In the main event of ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD, Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen wrote his name in history books as the first man to hold two world titles simultaneously in ONE Championship by knocking out Eduard “Landslide” Folayang. After plastering each other with hard strikes in the first round, both men picked up where they left off in the second stanza, when Folayang and Nguyen continued to trade heavy blows at the center of the cage. When Folayang launched his patented spinning backfist, Nguyen saw an opportunity to turn the lights off on his Filipino foe by uncorking explosive signature right hand. With his remarkable conquest of Folayang, Nguyen now has both the ONE Featherweight World Championship and ONE Lightweight World Championship titles in his possession.

Martin Nguyen, newly-minted ONE Lightweight World Champion, stated: “This is a special place for me. Last year, I came in and won Fight of the Night, right now it's possibly the Knockout of the Night. I think coming into the fight my main objective was a TKO or a submission. Eduard, I still love you like a brother, I hope you're fine and I hope you come back stronger. I'm still your number one fan."

In the co-main event of the evening, Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes remained the undisputed king of ONE Championship’s flyweight bracket, denying Danny Kingad’s bid to become a world champion by submitting the Filipino talent with a rear-naked choke in the first round. Moraes put on a masterful performance, pacifying Kingad’s striking advantage in the early going as the Brazilian grappling expert utilized his high-level ground game. On the mat, Moraes executed a forceful transition into a rear-naked choke that left Kingad no choice but to submit in the final seconds of the round to retain his ONE Flyweight World Championship.

Adriano Moraes, ONE Flyweight World Champion, stated: ”This night was amazing for me. It was a tough fight against Danny Kingad. He has a big future ahead of him, but now it's my time. This is my house, this is my belt, and this is my class.”

Filipino knockout artist Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon captured another sensational victory in front of a jubilant hometown crowd by routing South Korean-American dynamo Kevin “Oldboy” Chung, solidifying his position as a top contender in the stacked bantamweight division. Belingon effortlessly dictated the pace in the stand-up, where his opponent was at a stylistic disadvantage. The Baguio City native frequently caught Chung with crushing right crosses and lashing kicks to the body from bell to bell. Chung tried to change the complexion of the match by resorting to his superb grappling skills, but Belingon’s defense against submission attempts was enough to steer him to a unanimous decision triumph.

Previously unbeaten Japanese prospect Hayato Suzuki bowed down for the very first time in his professional career as he yielded to Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion black belt Alex “Little Rock” Silva. Both combatants started out aggressively, but it was SIlva who showed a more capable set of grappling skills. Silva spun a web of crafty grappling to overwhelm Suzuki as the Brazilian was able to get the submission finish in the first round, making Suzuki tap from an armbar.

Former world title contender Reece “Lighting” McLaren found a new home at flyweight as he pulled off a successful submission victory by defeating flyweight mainstay Anatpong Bunrad. Debuting effortlessly in his new weight class, McLaren showcased his fluid grappling skills and solid striking. With a mere eight seconds remaining in the very first round, McLaren caught Bunrad in an anaconda choke and transitioned into a D’arce choke to force the tap.

Chinese martial arts superstar “The Ghost” Zhao Zhi Kang made an astounding statement in his first assignment as a ONE Championship competitor, submitting Cambodian standout Thai Rithy in the first round. With a game plan to take matters to the ground, Zhao got the job done by fastening a rear-naked choke to force the tap from Rithy.

Team Lakay’s highly-touted atomweight prospect Gina “The Conviction” Iniong extended her winning streak inside the ONE Championship cage with an outstanding second-round finish of Indonesia’s Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol. With a diverse striking arsenal, Iniong unloaded her signature right hand on multiple occasions, finding the mark. In the second frame, Iniong found an opening to take Gaol down to the mat. Applying a crucifix, Iniong delivered a flurry of ground punches to force the referee to step in and call a halt to the contest.

In a battle of former world title challengers, Joshua “The Passion” Pacio emerged victorious against veteran martial artist Roy “The Dominator” Doliguez by notching a highlight-reel knockout in the second round. The young Team Lakay standout exhibited stellar form from the get-go, wearing down his fellow Filipino opponent with impeccable grappling and heavy high kicks. Hungry to place himself back on the winning track, Pacio put the finishing touches in the second frame, where he unleashed a well-timed spinning back-fist that sent Doliguez crashing down to the canvas.

After an impressive promotional debut in Shanghai, China last September, Xie Chao made his trip to Manila a memorable one by picking up his second-straight win in ONE Championship at the expense of Malaysia’s Kelvin Ong. Xie easily staggered Ong with a hard knee, giving him the leverage to convert a takedown. Employing sturdy top control, Xie drilled Ong with crisp elbows to get the stoppage in the opening stanza of the featherweight showdown.

A three-round strawweight encounter set a promising tone for the entire evening of ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD as Peng Xue Wen collided with Phat Soda in the curtain-raiser for the event. Peng, a National Youth Greco Wrestling Champion, left a lasting impression in his maiden trip to the ONE Championship cage by scoring a knockout victory over Soda with a high-impact slam in the first round.

Official Results for ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD

ONE Lightweight World Championship bout: Martin Nguyen defeats Eduard Folayang by Knockout (KO) at 2:20 minutes of round 2

ONE Flyweight World Championship bout: Adriano Moraes defeats Danny Kingad by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:45 minutes of round 1

Bantamweight bout: Kevin Belingon defeats Kevin Chung by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Strawweight bout: Alex Silva defeats Hayato Suzuki by Submission (Armbar) at 1:22 minutes of round 1

Flyweight bout: Reece McLaren defeats Anatpong Bunrad by Submission (D’arce Choke) at 4:52 minutes of round 1

Featherweight bout: Zhao Zhi Kang defeats Thai Rithy by Submission (Rear Naked Choke)  at 2:31 minutes of round 1

Women’s atomweight bout: Gina Iniong defeats Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol by TKO (Strikes) at 2:12 minutes of round 2

Strawweight bout: Joshua Pacio defeats Roy Doliguez by Knockout (KO) at 0:38 minutes of round 2

Featherweight bout: Xie Chao defeats Kelvin Ong by TKO (Doctor’s Stoppage) at 1:48 minutes of round 1

Strawweight bout: Peng Xue Wen defeats Phat Soda by Knockout (KO) at 2:15 minutes of round 1

In case you missed the action log on to www.onefc.com/livestream for the full replay of the fights at only US $9.99.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1 billion potential viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

Eugene Toquero vows to give it his all at ONE: HERO’S DREAM

Filipino fan-favorite Eugene Toquero will be making his fourteenth trip to the cage as a professional mixed martial arts competitor on 3 November, and he will be doing so in front of a passionate crowd in Yangon, Myanmar.

The fans at the iconic Thuwunna Indoor Stadium will be entertained by the flamboyant flyweight Toquero once more on the undercard of ONE: HERO’S DREAM when he takes on highly-touted Chinese prospect Ma Hao Bin.

Toquero dropped his last three outings and is in dire need of a win as he returns to action on 3 November.

The 36-year-old Filipino veteran lost two of his scheduled bouts in 2016, yielding to reigning ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano Moraes via first-round submission in March before tasting the same fate at the hands of Team Lakay’s Danny Kingad in December.

Having his hand raised in triumph remained elusive to Toquero in April of this year when he bowed down to Indonesian standout Stefer Rahardian by way of unanimous decision.

As he desires to place himself on the winning track again, Toquero stressed that he has made some crucial adjustments to his preparation.

“I have made other adjustments. I train longer and harder now. I don’t want to be complacent because I am not getting any younger. This is a huge organization with a lot of very good martial artists from all over the world,” he said.

“I will give my best in this bout. I will leave everything on the line,” Toquero declared.

Toquero is confident that if his Chinese foe takes him lightly, it would be a catastrophic mistake.

“If my opponent did not train well, then I will eat him alive inside the cage. I am hungry for that win,” he stated.

The man standing in his re-entry to the winner’s column is Ma, who has strung together an impressive 7-1 professional record that includes three wins by submission and one by knockout.

In Ma’s recent trip to the ONE Championship cage, he submitted “The Wolf Of The Grasslands” Hexigetu in their flyweight affair at ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SHANGHAI this past September, courtesy of a guillotine choke, with ten seconds remaining in round number two.

Toquero hopes that his experience will pay dividends when they meet across the cage, but he won't be paying too much attention to his adversary's game plan.

According to Toquero, the key to victory is in focusing on himself and making his A-game the priority.

"I never study my opponents. I do not care who they are because in Muay Thai and my amateur fights we never knew who our opponents were. We train in the gym and enhance our strengths," he shared.

With a fresh outlook and his back against the wall, Toquero is driven to break his losing spell and redeem his status as one of the most exciting flyweights in the Asian region.

"This time, l will make sure that my hand is raised as the winner. I am not going home with a loss on 3rd of November," he ended.

​For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1 billion potential viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

ONE Championship Announces Full Bout Card for Return to Jakarta on September 16

Former ONE Flyweight World Champion Kairat Akhmetov is a veteran martial artist from Almaty, Kazakhstan. The 29-year-old boasts a solid 23-1 professional record amassed during a stellar martial arts career which has seen him dominate his opponents with tenacious wrestling and powerful striking. In his most recent appearance inside the ONE Championship cage, Akhmetov faced divisional rival Adriano Moraes for the right to be crowned the undisputed ONE Flyweight World Champion. Akhmetov fell just short of victory, losing by unanimous decision in a close bout. Determined to earn another shot at ONE Championship gold, a victory over Geje Eustaquio, whom Akhmetov will challenge in his next contest, could be the ticket to another title opportunity.

Top flyweight contender and former world title challenger Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio of  Baguio City, Philippines, is one of the most skilled martial artists in Asia, and a highly-decorated wushu practitioner. His solid striking and grappling skill set has led to huge victories over the course of a six-year professional martial arts career. Training in the high altitudes of the Philippines’ mountainous region, Eustaquio hones his craft alongside world-class teammates at the fabled Team Lakay. In his most recent bout, Eustaquio defeated fellow striker Anatpong Bunrad via split decision in a rematch. Known for his incredible ability to keep calm in the face of adversity, Eustaquio is set to headline ONE: TOTAL VICTORY opposite former ONE Flyweight World Champion Kairat Akhmetov.

Top Indonesian prospect Stefer Rahardian impressed in his ONE Championship debut by winning the ONE: TITLES & TITANS Flyweight Tournament in August of 2016. Rahardian finished both Yotha Hutagalung and Hendrick Wijaya by first round rear-naked choke to become the tournament winner. In his last outing, Rahardian outperformed Eugene Toquero to win by unanimous decision in three rounds. Now unbeaten at six wins and no losses, Rahardian puts his unblemished record on the line against Sim Bunsrun.

Sim Bunsrun is a 24-year-old KWC 3 Flyweight Tournament Champion currently competing in ONE Championship’s stacked flyweight division. He aced his first two assignments in the organization with flying colors, submitting compatriot Kun Sichan in December 2015 before outpointing Liu Peng Shuai a year later. Bunsrun now returns to the ONE Championship cage to go up against Indonesia’s Stefer Rahardian.

Cameroonian Alain “The Panther” Ngalani, who trains out of Impakt MMA in Hong Kong, is an exciting heavyweight contender with massive size and brutish strength. With the agility and the quickness of a lighter competitor, Ngalani is a terrifying combination of size and speed and is always looking to end matches early. A former kickboxing titleholder, Ngalani now looks to surprise local fans in attendance with another spectacular performance as he takes on former title challenger Hideki Sekine.

Japanese heavyweight Hideki “Shrek” Sekine holds a professional record of seven wins and one loss. He is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and has won multiple grappling tournaments across the globe. Known for his brute strength and technical grappling ability, Sekine owns three victories by submission and another three by knockout. In his last outing, he challenged Filipino-American superstar Brandon Vera for the ONE Heavyweight World Championship. Sekine looks to place himself back on the winning track as he squares off with Alain Ngalani.

25-year-old Yago Bryan of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a former Shooto South American Strawweight Champion who took on former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke in his promotional debut. Skilled in both the striking and grappling arts, Bryan is making his way back to the ONE Championship cage, this time against Roy Doliguez of the Philippines.

Roy Doliguez is a considered one of the best strawweights in Asia. Doliguez is also a former professional boxer with more than 40 pro bouts. He made his promotional debut in 2015, vying for the inaugural ONE Strawweight World Championship against Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke. His next bout will be against a fellow former title contender in Yago Bryan.

Indonesian martial artist “The Terminator” Sunoto is a WKF Indonesia Champion with a 6-3 professional record. With a penchant for grappling, three of Sunoto’s six victories have come by submission. The 32-year-old is known as an aggressive competitor who never backs down from a challenge. In his last bout, he scored a first-round stoppage victory over Cambodia’s Chan Heng. Sunoto looks to continue his winning ways as he is set to duke it out with Thai Rithy.

19-year-old Thai Rithy of Cambodia is a KWC Featherweight Champion who will make his ONE Championship debut as part of the promotion’s stacked featherweight division. He holds a professional record of five wins and two losses. Four of his five career victories have come by way of submission. Rithy is scheduled to make his first appearance inside the ONE Championship cage against Sunoto.

Jeremy “The Predator” Meciaz is a 25-year-old Indonesian National Grappling Champion who made the transition to professional martial arts competition in 2017. In the same year, he made his ONE Championship debut against unbeaten Chinese prospect Chen “Rock Man” Lei.  Meciaz now returns to the cage seeking victory, but will have to go through Hisyam Samsudin to claim success.

Hisyam “Zephyrus” Samsudin of Malaysia is a former WBF Asia-Pacific Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion who trains at the highly-regarded Borneo Tribal Squad with Ann “Athena” Osman and AJ “Pyro” Lias Mansor. Samsudin likes to pepper opponents with heavy handed strikes, utilizing his world-class boxing base. Samsudin’s next assignment is against Jeremy Meciaz.

“The Little Squirrel” Liu De Li Ge Ri Hu is an Inner Mongolia Wrestling Champion, holding a professional record of two wins and two losses. Liu De Li aims to make an astounding statement in his ONE Championship debut as he is booked to square off with Ramon Gonzales.

30-year-old Ramon “The Bicolano” Gonzales is a flyweight standout from the Philippines, representing Burn Soriano’s Hitman MMA. He has proven his karate mastery in competitions all over the world, but the former two-time Philippine National Kyokushin Karate Champion is determined to fully showcase his potential in ONE Championship. He will make his third appearance under the promotion’s banner against Liu De Li Ge Ri Hu.

Liberian combatant Jerome S. Paye made his ONE Championship debut in February 2016 against China’s Li Hao Jie. In the bout, Paye showcased a well-rounded set of techniques, stifling his opponent with an array of striking combinations. With the ability to make bouts difficult for any opponent, Paye will make his return to the ONE Championship cage in Jakarta, Indonesia to face former boxing world champion Yodsanan Sityodtong.

Former WBA Boxing World Champion Yodsanan “Little Tyson” Sityodtong of Thailand is known as a devastatingly powerful puncher, with the ability to utilize his heavy hands to stop foes with trademark combinations. With 47 knockouts in boxing and all three of his victories inside the ONE Championship cage ending in similar fashion, expect Sityodtong to always be on the lookout for an abrupt ending to his contests. Currently riding a two-bout winning streak, Sityodtong will be going for number three against Jerome S. Paye.

24-year-old Adrian Matheis of Jakarta, Indonesia, is a martial artist competing in ONE Championship’s talented strawweight division. In the ONE: TITLES & TITANS strawweight tournament in August 2016, Matheis defeated both Rustam Hutajulu and Roso Nugroho via scintillating knockouts in one night to be crowned tournament champion. In his next bout, Matheis crosses paths with the debuting Phat Soda.

28-year-old Phat Soda is a three-time National Khun Khmer Champion. In his glory days as a Cambodian kickboxing competitor, he left fans on the edge of their seats with his lightning-quick and pinpoint striking. Soda looks to emulate his Khun Khmer success in ONE Championship as he steps in the cage with Adrian Matheis.

Kicking off the action at ONE: TOTAL VICTORY are two promising young bantamweight prospects. Striking specialist Riski Umar takes on compatriot Adi Nugroho in a three-round contest. Umar is set to make his professional debut in his first ONE Championship stint, while Nugroho is determined to have his hand raised in his second appearance under the organization’s umbrella.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1 billion potential viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.

*This is Press Release

Ben Askren Vows to Put Swedish Foe in Wrestling Clinic

Even though there are many combat practices in mixed martial arts, undefeated ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren stands firm on the notion that wrestling is the most vital discipline in the sport.

In the constantly-evolving arena of martial arts, many competitors and coaches are still striving to discover what training formula results in consistent success.

Wrestling has been often regarded as the best foundation in the sport as numerous wrestlers transitioned easily into the sport, including Randy Couture, Dan Henderson, Daniel Cormier, Brock Lesnar, Chuck Liddell and Frankie Edgar.

Throughout the course of mixed martial arts history, wrestlers have shared the cage with other practitioners on numerous occasions.

In the current state of the sport, wrestling has become a necessary requirement for combatants to extensively learn.

“If you’re going to ask a lot of the mixed martial artists, they’re going to say that wrestling is the number one martial art to learn,” Askren said.

Askren is highly regarded for his outstanding wrestling background that earned him two NCAA Division I national championship trophies and the privilege to represent the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

While many children were motivated to first pick up a basketball because of Michael Jordan or kick a soccer ball because of David Beckham, Askren was a little different.

Growing up in the Midwestern United States, a region traditionally known as a hotbed for amateur wrestling, Askren was motivated by the spirit of competition and wanted to participate in a sport where he could be the master of his own fate.

“What really attracted me to wrestling was it was a one-on-one sport, and you make or break your destiny. I did not like to let other people control my destiny. I wanted to be in control of my own destiny. I wanted it to be my fault if I won, or my fault if I lost, so I guess I had a hard time with other people having control over my outcomes,” he shared.

Askren had long planned switch to mixed martial arts and conquer that sport once he hung up his wrestling boots.

Following his 2008 Olympic campaign, Askren made the transition and has flawlessly translated his impeccable grappling skills into his growing skillset.

The 33-year-old American has been perfect in competition, amassing an immaculate professional record of 16-0 with 1 no contest en route to becoming the ONE Welterweight World Champion.

“Being a champion is more than wearing a gold belt around your waist,. It is a lot about how you live, and a lot about how you affect others around you by the way you live and train,” Askren explained.

Askren plans to show everyone just how good he is once again on Saturday, 2 September when he defends his ONE Welterweight World Championship against Swedish contender Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam in the main event of ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SHANGHAI, which takes place at the 15,000-capacity Shanghai Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China.

A tall order is in front of Askren as unlike the Olympian’s previous opponents, Kadestam is armed with a dangerous striking game as he possesses a top-shelf Muay Thai skillset with knockout power.

Kadestam made headlines last May when he defeated Santos as the little-known Swede had been completely dominated in the opening two rounds of the contest before pulling off a miraculous knockout in the final stanza.

Askren admitted that Kadestam’s shocking conquest of Santos nearly five months ago caught his attention.

“He is tough and he is durable, and that showed in the match with Santos. He took some hard shots, but stayed in there and kept competing,” he said of the Swedish standout.

Although he stakes his undefeated record and the coveted ONE Welterweight World Championship title against a dangerous foe like Kadestam, Askren believes there is nothing his opponent can do that will prepare him for what is about to come.

"It does not matter what my opponent's strengths and weaknesses are because at the end of the day, I have got the trump card. He cannot stop my wrestling, then he is going to be on his back, and he is going to get beaten up,” he declared.

“I will come across the cage, I will grab you, I will put you on your back, and I will punch you until you ask the referee to stop me from doing so. The other option is that I am going to make you tap,” Askren added.

For the past eight years, dating back to his professional debut in February 2009, his unstoppable strategy has worked brilliantly for Askren, who does not see any reason to stray from his strength.

“I am really effective at what I do. I never made a secret of it, and I always played to my strengths, and that is something a lot of people get away from. They do not play to their strengths, and I always play to my strengths, and I have been very focused and determined on what I do. So far, it has worked out well,” he stressed.

With his superb wrestling pedigree, Askren plans to exhibit another masterful performance as he shares the ONE Championship cage with a ferocious striker like Kadestam.

“Although Zebaztian Kadestam might be an underdog, I am not taking this match lightly. I know the feeling. I’ve been in that situation. Nobody should write off an underdog. But this is what I can assure. Wrestling has always been my bread-and-butter. Once I get you on the mat, it’s a matter of seconds before I finish you,” he guaranteed.

​For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1 billion potential viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.

*This is Press Release