Ben Saunders Signs With UFC

[BionicCommando]

I think John Anik let it slip that Saunders will be fighting in Tulsa.

 

[J0N0]

That's awesome, it was ridiculous that he got cut in the first place

 

[MuayThaiBX]

Well at least there will be a little more violence in the UFC. Every Saunders fight usually turns into a beatdown to please the JBGs - whether it's him as the giver or receiver of the beating.

 

[SimonNova]

Give him a blanket first.

Lol

 

[SCADA]

and yet they wont sign Askren

Maybe they have enough blankets already.....

 

[Lucifer Alpha]

I thought Lima killed him.

 

[CageSage]

The most cringe worthy interviews in all of MMA, mid-tier at best fighter, dont really care one way or the other.

 

[Kylewood95]

Maybe they have enough blankets already.....

forgive me but I enjoy watching the best fighters on the earth fight, and unfortunately when it comes to Askren we may never know how he does against top 10 competition. He may be a blanket, but he's an effective one and I'd love to see him in the UFC fighting the best guys in the world.

 

[beef-fire]

I can't see his second run in the UFC going any differently.

 

[Hans Gruber]

I thought Lima killed him.

Twice

 

[Towelie by TKO]

So wait.

We get Saunders under contract, but not Askren, Riddle, Fitch or Shields.

Can't be considered a sport when you sign fighters that sell instead of fighters that win.

If Askren, Fitch or Shields would be willing to fight for 16k/16k or whatever they'll be paying Ben, they'd be signed.

Every time a WW is signed we have to hear about Askren, when he's asking for a lot more money than the WWs being signed.

 

[xP]

Not interested, he got destroyed by Lima (2

 

[theskza]

Is he a contender or anything? No. But he's a fun dude to watch so I'm really happy to see him back in the UFC. One or those dudes you just get excited when you see him on a card.

Yeah I was kinda pissed he was released at the time. Glad to see him back. Fun guy to watch.

 

[WBC Rezen]

Cool. He's a fun fighter to watch. Some good fights ahead.

 

[Towelie by TKO]

You are correct. It does completely debunk the argument that Askren still needed to "prove himself" to get into the organization. Which was always a ridiculous argument because he has one of the best resumes of any WW outside the UFC in years.

He doesn't need to prove himself to get into the UFC, he needs to prove himself to get the money he's asking for. He has to show he can be a draw if he wants 100k/100k or whatever he was asking for.

 

[Lucifer Alpha]

He doesn't need to prove himself to get into the UFC, he needs to prove himself to get the money he's asking for. He has to show he can be a draw if he wants 100k/100k or whatever he was asking for.

_______________

Misconception or truth?: Askren priced himself out of a UFC contract

The talks never got as far as specific numbers, said Askren.

The tete-a-tete took place in UFC owner Zuffa's Las Vegas office in late November, a few days after welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre narrowly escaped with a split-decision victory over Johnny Hendricks and planted the seeds for what would become his title-vacating sabbatical from the sport in December. UFC majority owner Lorenzo Fertitta and a few others were in attendance with Askren and his manager, DeWayne Zinkin; minority owner and president Dana White sat in via teleconference. Askren said the precursory talks went well and that specific scenarios were discussed, though he wouldn't elaborate on them for confidentiality reasons.

"I left with the impression that we were going to get it done," said Askren. "Later that night, they called back to say they weren't interested anymore. I thought I was going to the UFC. How could they not sign a former champion of the number-two promotion who's ranked top ten in every imaginable ranking?"

Had the negotiations progressed to figures, Askren would like to think he'd have been offered something commensurate with his market value, but wasn't expecting the windfall that former Bellator champion Hector Lombard received in April 2012, when he became the first rival titleholder to defect to the UFC's welterweight division. According to reports, Lombard was paid an astronomical $400,000 signing bonus, $300,000 for his first bout and offered a percentage of profits from pay-per-views on which he appeared.

Askren said he wouldn't have expected such bloated numbers.

"I have other sources of income and if they had said eight [thousand] and eight [thousand win bonus pay], I would have told them to f--- off, but I'm not going to say I need Hector Lombard money," he said. "If the offer had been anywhere within the point of reason, I would have been game."

Askren clears up misconceptions about his new deal

 

[Non]

I thought Lima killed him.

This. Good to see he's awake.

 

[LiverpoolUFC**]

He's the judo guy right. Nice

 

[BionicCommando]

Askren was never going to get into the UFC because Joe Silva didn't want him there. That's pretty much as far as it got.

 

[ShreddinMMA]

Too bad Matt Brown's so highly ranked these days.

Those two would have a Thai clinch battle for the ages.

That would be a sick fight while it lasted.