Ben Askren vs. Jordan Burroughs set for “Grapple at the Garden”
Ben Askren will face Jordan Burroughs on May 6th, 2019 at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.
Askren (1-0 in the UFC) is slated to face Jorge Masvidal at UFC 239 in Las Vegas on July 6th. He comes off a decisive submission victory over Robbie Lawler at UFC 235 just last month. Clearly Askren has no plans to slow down. The two-time national champion wrestler at Arizona State University finished college with a record of 153-8. He has proven himself just as a phenom in MMA, currently holding a professional record of 19-0.
Jordan Burroughs is a two-time NCAA champion and four-time World Champion. Burroughs also brought home a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics.
Askren and Burroughs have both represented the United States in the Olympics in the same weight class (74kg). However, they have yet to face each other on the mats.
The match will benefit Beat the Streets, a non-profit organization created to help promote wrestling in the inner city. It will have a freestyle wrestling rule set.
Beat the Streets Executive Director Brendan Buckley praises Jordan Burroughs, describing him as a “great champion who has been a great supporter of Beat the Streets for years.“
He went on to say that “this is a match that many fans have been hoping for, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring them together in a way that will benefit our BTS kids on what is shaping up to be a huge night of wrestling.”
New York City’s Madison Square Garden is among most famous venues in the world. The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, where this match will take place, has hosted notable wrestling events including “Grapple at the Garden” college wrestling in 2017.
