KSW middleweight champion Scott Askham continued to blaze his trail to the top of the KSW mountain. This past weekend Askham defeated KSW legend Mamed Khalidov at KSW 52 via unanimous decision. There are many paths for Askham from here. Could we see a title rematch with Michal Materla? Could we even get the champion vs champion super-fight with KSW light heavyweight champion Tomasz Narkun? What’s next for KSW champion Scott Askham?
KSW 52 Superfight
Many fans of KSW will consider a matchup between Askham and Khalidov to be of a superfight caliber. Khalidov has been apart of the organization since KSW 7, over 12 years ago. Khalidov is both a former KSW middleweight and the inaugural light heavyweight champion. Askham has been looking for this matchup since Khalidov vacated the middleweight title to chase another battle with Narkun. The matchup was finally brought to fruition for fans as the headline to end 2019 at KSW 52.
“I came to the arena in a super car!” Askham exclaimed. “What show does that?! Then I got to show more of my game once again to get the win.” 2019 has been quite the year for Askham. In May at KSW 49 he defeated Materla with a third round flying knee to claim the middlweight title and just this past weekend he defeated a KSW legend. What does Askham think was his biggest achievement of the year? “It’s been a massive year for me! Firstly winning the KSW world title then beating long time KSW champion and legend Mamed Khalidov…where do I rate them both!? Finishing Materla in a very tough fight was something special but the whole show vs Khalidov was something else! Don’t make me pick one please!” Askham said with a laugh.
Defeating a Legend
No matter what happens from here on in the career of Mamed Khalidov, he will always be one of the pillars of KSW. A solid unanimous decision victory over Khalidov does a lot to cement the legacy Askham himself is trying to create within the organization. Askham has done what very few have in the past, stick to their gameplan against Khalidov. “My plan is always to not get him and him them pretty much! I did do that but we ended up engaged in some grappling earlier in the fight, then the plan changed slightly,” Askham told MMA Sucka. “I feel this was an important fight for me; maybe I didn’t knock him out but I showed the ability to adept and win in other ways. I am not just a striker.”
So What’s Next for Scott Askham?
Though Scott Askham is up two on Materla, that always poses to be an amazing fight. Materla had a strong outing last time in their title fight before Askham landed the knockout shot. Newcomer to the division, Dricus Du Plessis, would make for an interesting striking affair with the former welterweight champion now stepping up in weight. Du Plessis had a solid middleweight debut knocking out Joilton Santos in the second round at KSW 50 in September 2019. The thought also looms in the air for a champion vs champion superfight between Askham and Narkun. Narkun is no stranger to champion vs champion superfights, dropping an unanimous decision to heavyweight champion Phil De Fries as KSW 47 in March 2019. “Let the fans talk. Rematch for the belt, go up and challenge for another belt, or defend my belt,” Askham said. “I will take any of them but if I had a choice I think I would like to challenge for the light heavyweight belt. More and more I think about it, it makes sense. Double champ sounds good! I think this is the biggest fight for me right now.”
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