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Demian Maia is unsurprisingly interested in a grappling fight against Ben Askren in Singapore.
MMA veteran and legendary Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Demian Maia is intrigued by his upcoming bout against fellow grappler Ben Askren. Generally used to having to fight to take his opponents to the ground in order to try and catch them in a submission, the Brazilian tells Ag Fight that it will be interesting to take on someone who else prefers to fight on the mat, although they have different backgrounds.
Even though fighting Askren was not a possibility Demian had considered up until he was offered the bout, Maia likes the challenge, even if it’s a little intriguing for himself, as he says it is the first time someone will not be afraid of a ground battle against him.
“I hadn’t even fought of this fight, but I heard a lot of people talking about it,” Maia said. “When the UFC offered it, I thought it was an interesting challenge. He’s a really good wrestler and, at this point in my career, I think it’s a cool fight. Practically, I spent all my career fighting guys who avoided a ground fight with me.
“It will be the first time I’ll fight someone with a similar style. That makes the fight interesting,” he added.
Against Askren, Demian Maia (27-9) will look for his third straight win in 2019, having already defeated Anthony Rocco Martin and Lyman Good this year. This current streak comes after a difficult period in the 41-year-old’s career, in which he dropped three straight unanimous decisions to Tyron Woodley, Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman.
Now, Demian is expected to take on Ben Askren at UFC Fight Night 162’s main event in Singapore, on October 26.