Everybody’s talking about Ben Askren and for good reason.
For years, Askren has been considered the greatest fighter outside the UFC and we will finally discover how ‘Funky’ fares in the Octagon after the unprecedented trade deal with ONE Championship.
Former UFC flyweight champion and pound-for-pound king Demetrious Johnson has moved in the opposite direction and Askren has already put the entire UFC welterweight division on notice with several call-outs on social media.
The undefeated Askren refuses to fight teammate and long-time friend Tyron Woodley, who currently holds the 170lbs title, so is hoping that there is some truth to the rumours of a few new weight classes coming into effect in the UFC.
There has been plenty of discussion about a 165lbs division and that has been supported by some big names like Askren and Conor McGregor.
But the former doesn’t foresee a scenario where he meets McGregor at that or any other weight.
“The last thing that someone who walks around like a tough guy and fights in the cage for a living wants to do is be completely emasculated,” Askren said backstage at UFC 230. “And that’s what I do to you.
“I hold you down for as long as I want, I punch you as many times as I want, and there’s not a f-ing thing you can do about it. And that’s so completely emasculating. That steals your manhood. That’s a feeling that none of those guys ever want to feel in their life. And Conor has enough money where he would never risk that.”
