Former U.S. Olympic wrestler Ben Askren will make his long awaited UFC debut on January 26, when he takes on Robbie Lawler at UFC 233 in Anaheim, California. Askren was traded by ONE Championship to the UFC in October, in exchange for former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson.
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Askren, 34, boasts an undefeated record of 18-0 with one no-contest in 19 career fights with ONE Championship, where he made his mark as the welterweight division's longest reigning champion. He retired in November of last year after defeating Shinya Aoki at One Championship 64, but remained open to fighting for the right opportunity - which arrived when he officially joined UFC.
His opponent, Robbie Lawler, has not fought since last December when he suffered a loss to Rafael dos Anjos via unanimous decision. Lawler, 36, is a former UFC welterweight champion himself with an overall record of 28-12 with one no-contest.
(Robbie Lawler UFC 181: Photo by Alex Trautwig/Getty Images)
The main event of UFC 233 will feature a champion vs champion superfight between bantamweight titleholder T.J. Dillashaw and flyweight champ Henry Cejudo with Cejudo's title on the line.
Other matches on the UFC 233 card include a Lightweight bout between Paul Felder and James Vick and Women's Flyweights Ariane Lipski vs Joanne Calderwood.
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