The last time Ben Askren headlined an event in Manila, things didn’t go according to plan. What looked set to be a close and competitive fight with Luis Santos came to an abrupt and premature end when the Brazilian was unable to continue after a first-round eye poke.
It was a major disappointment for the Filipino fans who were getting their first glimpse at arguably the world’s best welterweight. Askren has a chance to make some amends this Friday (April 15, 2016) when he defends his belt against Nikolay Aleksakhin in the exact same arena.
The American’s title bout against the Russian headlines ONE: "Global Rivals" and Askren is determined to show the Manila audience exactly what he is capable of.