Ben Askren returns to action later this month when he meets Demian Maia. That welterweight contest will headline the UFC’s return to Singapore on October 26.
Askren is coming off his first-ever professional defeat following a flying knee knockout by Jorge Masvidal back in July.
Maia, meanwhile, is back on a winning streak as he has won his last two outings against Lyman Good and Anthony Rocco Martin.
Who will emerge victorious when this battle of grapplers takes place? According to the oddsmakers, Askren has the edge.
Here are the current betting odds:
- Ben Askren: -140
- Demian Maia: +110
That means you would need to bet $140 on Askren to win $100 while a $100 stake on Maia would net you an additional $110.
It’s easy to see why Askren is the slight favorite. Maia was recently on a three-fight losing streak after unanimous decision defeats to Tyron Woodley, Colby Covington, and Kamaru Usman.
Like those three fighters, Askren is an accomplished wrestler and will likely nullify Maia’s takedown attempts. That said, the general opinion is that Maia is a better striker than Askren, so if the fight remains standing, the Brazilian would actually fare better so it’ll be very interesting to see how the contest plays out.
Here are the opening odds for the pair’s last five fights:
Ben Askren last five fights
- vs. Jorge Masvidal (L): -230
- vs. Robbie Lawler (W): -180
- vs. Shinya Aoki (W): -900
- vs. Zebaztian Kadestam (W): -1200
- vs. Agilan Thani (W): -765
Demian Maia last five fights
- vs. Anthony Rocco Martin (W): -195
- vs. Lyman Good (W): -155
- vs. Kamaru Usman (L): +135
- vs. Colby Covington (L): +100
- vs. Tyron Woodley (L): +160
