According to a report by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Ben Askren will step back inside the ONE cage this April.
Askren, the reigning welterweight champion, will defend his belt against 25-year-old Russian Nikolay Aleksakhin at ONE: Global Rivals. The event takes place April 15 from the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.
For Askren (14-0), a former Bellator champion, the fight will be his first since a 2015 no-contest with Luis Santos. The two signed back on the dotted line for a rematch last year, but Santos was unable to make weight and the bout was called off.
“I look forward to facing Aleksakhin,” Askren said. “He has a good record and looks like a tough opponent.”
Aleksakhin sports a record of 16-3 and is unbeaten in his last six overall. Of those, four have been finishes, including a win last November for ONE.
