KSW 42 competitor Scott Askham is coming off of the biggest win of his career.

The UFC veteran defeated former "The Ultimate Fighter" competitor Luke Barnatt at ACB 70 back in September 2017, earning both men “Fight of the Night” honors and cementing Askham as an elite talent outside of the UFC.

“Everything went right for me,” Askham told FloCombat. “It got down to a split decision because there is actually one judge that's actually been in his corner before. Every other judge scored it 30-27 for me. 

"In terms of my performance, this was my best one yet. I'm really happy with that performance and I'm looking to keep the momentum going.”

The win was an important one for Askham, as the Englishman was able to land a contract with the fast-growing European promotion KSW. To Askham, this is an exciting opportunity for him — and one he doesn't intend to waste Saturday when he faces Michal Materla in Lodz, Poland.

“I was really excited to sign with KSW,” Askham said. “Obviously they have (Michal) Materla and (Mamed) Khalidov on their roster, two of the biggest names in Europe. Those are the fights I want. I want the big fights. I get Materla in this one and then with a win, Khalidov will be in the picture.”

The fight between Askham and Materla pits two of Europe’s biggest talents against one another. And with each man coming into the fight with some serious momentum, the fight promises excitement.

“He's got some confidence. He's won his last three fights all by TKO,” Askham said. “I'm the same. I'm coming off of a dominant performance against Luke Barnatt and I'm training at ATT [American Top Team] with some of the best guys in the world.”

The game plan for Askham remains simple yet effective, helped essentially by his training with the world-renowned facility in Florida. 

“I'm just going in there to put on a clinic, and I'm going to beat him to the punch everywhere,” Askham said. “I'm going to out-strike him. Everyone knows I've got good striking and I can defend a takedown.”

With a victory, a fight against Khalidov could await, setting up one of the biggest matchups possible outside the UFC or Bellator MMA. 

None of that will matter, however, if Askham doesn't get past Materla on Saturday. 

If you ask Askham, that won't be an issue. 

“I match up great with him,” Askham said. “I have that awkward southpaw, I'm awkward for anybody. I've been working on all areas. I feel good." 

By Lucas Grandsire