UFC Fight Night: Maia vs Askren in Singapore: Who will emerge as the best grappler?

WHEN UFC lands in Singapore for the fourth time on October 26th, a throwback style-vs-style bout is set to be a history-making main event.

Two legendary groundfighters in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) will meet to decide who is the best grappler: Brazilian Jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia versus USA Olympic Team wrestler Ben Askren.

It is also a battle between the world's top-ranked fighters as #10 ranked Maia, a former two-time title contender, looks to become the first person ever to submit #11 ranked Askren inside the Octagon.

With an MMA record of 27-9 and 21 victories inside the Octagon, Maia holds the second-most wins in UFC history, behind former UFC Singapore headliner 'Cowboy' Donald Cerrone.

He has fought for the belt in two different divisions, at middleweight against Anderson Silva and at welterweight against Tyron Woodley.

Maia has a record streak of wins by submission, with victories over Jorge Masvidal, John Fitch and Chael Sonnen – another champion wrestler.

The 41-year-old is a 4th degree Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt who has won multiple world championships, including gold at the ADCC World Championships and South American Championships.

Askren's UFC debut was on the back of an undefeated MMA record, and he won a first-round submission over former welterweight champion, Robbie Lawler.

But his most recent bout was a loss to Jorge Masvidal in July via knockout from a flying knee strike, which brought his record to 19-1-1.

Despite that, submitting the former Bellator and ONE world champion will not be an easy task for Maia, as Askren is a formidable foe on the ground.

Askren was a two-time NCAA champion and a member of the 2008 United States Olympic freestyle wrestling team, and is one of the most decorated wrestlers in the UFC.

Vowing to bounce back from his first career loss to Masvidal, the 35-year-old is eager to prove that he's the best and most dangerous grappler in the welterweight division.

Meanwhile, the co-main event will see a clash between two lightweights - Michael Johnson from the US and Scottish lad Stevie Ray.

Johnson, 33, is a season 12 finalist from The Ultimate Fighter - UFC's very own reality show – with a professional MMA record of 19 wins and 14 losses.

He is a former lightweight champion in two MMA promotions - Xtreme Cage Fighting and Midwest Fight League.

His opponent, Ray, is a former champion in BAMMA and Cage Warriors prior to joining the UFC, and owns a professional record of 22 wins and 9 losses.

For fans of striking, a welterweight clash is set between Muslim “King of Kung Fu” Salikhov and Argentina's hot prospect Laureano Staropoli.

Plus, Thailand's Loma Lookboonmee, the first ever athlete from Thailand signed to the UFC, makes her debut against Russia's Alexandra Albu.

UFC, the world's largest MMA promotion, is set to land in Singapore after ground-breaking shows across the world, such as UFC Shenzhen which crowned Asia's first UFC champion, Zhang Weili, and UFC Melboure which a record attendance of over 57,000.

UFC Fight Night: Maia vs Askren will take place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang on Saturday, October 26th.

It's the second of three events in partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore Sports Hub.

The preliminary card starts at 5pm Singapore time and the main card is scheduled at 8pm.

Tickets can be purchased through SportsHub and AirAsia RedTix.

Full fight card for UFC Fight Night 162:

Main card

Main event (welterweight bout) - Demian Maia vs Ben Askren

Co-main event (lightweight bout) - Michael Johnson vs Stevie Ray

Lightweight bout - Frank Camacho vs Beneil Dariush

Heavyweight bout - Ciryl Gane vs Don'Tale Mayes

Welterweight bout - Muslim Salikhov vs Laureano Staropoli

Preliminary card

Women strawweight bout - Randa Markos vs Ashley Yoder

Lightweight bout - Alex White vs Rafael Fiziev

Featherweight bout - Enrique Barzola vs Movsar Evloev

Heavyweight bout - Sergei Pavlovich vs Maurice Greene

Women strawweight bout - Loma Lookboonme vs Aleksandra Albu

Heavyweight bout - Raphael Pessoa vs Jeff Hughes