Askren's problem was timing, not skill

[chinarice]

I agree he wouldn't have beat GSP or Hendricks. But USADA killed Hendricks and GSP retired. Very well possible he could have been champ. We'll never know. We missed the real Lawler-Askren fight in their primes.

5 years ago, 2014, juiced up Johnny was in full effect. Askren would have been slept by Pig Rigg

 

[Tabarnakos]

K1 Askren

 

[Sarge3000]

My feeling is that the UFC waited too long to get him.
In his best days, Askren could beat anyone. Lima (whom he beat) said that he did not see the same fire in Askren as back when he was beaten by him. I think Askren kind of went into the UFC half heartedly without that killer motivation. The key to this is that he effectively retired and was pulled from retirement. During those months in retirement, what it does to a man is take you out of the game. Just look at Conor and the joke he's become, or even GSP now that he's out of the testing pool. The desire to come back fades when you realise you can chill instead of train.

 

[vanillaisis]

5 years ago, 2014, juiced up Johnny was in full effect. Askren would have been slept by Pig Rigg

Johnny also beat Askren in wrestling in High School. Hendricks is a terrible matchup for Ben as is GSP as well. But everybody else after that? Hmmm I don't know I think he had a pretty good chance at that belt.

 

[method115]

He came to the UFC too late in his career......5 years earlier and he would have been a dominant champion. His pure wrestling is still better than 95% of these guys anyway.

Go ahead and pretend he's a can if it helps you sleep at night, but at least he didn't "catch colitis" when going up against the killers.

He couldn't even fucking beat Damian Maia who's 42. This wasn't an issue with no being in his prime.

 

[csroster]

Is that the guy that fought Jorge Masvidal?

 

[POWER2]

He came to the UFC too late in his career......5 years earlier and he would have been a dominant champion. His pure wrestling is still better than 95% of these guys anyway.

Go ahead and pretend he's a can if it helps you sleep at night, but at least he didn't "catch colitis" when going up against the killers.

5 yrs ago Henricks or GSP would have neutralized every skill set he had. Same outcome any time period.

 

[vanillaisis]

He couldn't even fucking beat Damian Maia who's 42. This wasn't an issue with no being in his prime.

Major props though for taking Maia down and defending a few subs. Every other grappler except Shields avoided the ground with Maia like it was a deathzone. He took risks in fights and they were never boring.

 

[Bangkok ready d1]

His problem is that he sucks, people can think whatever they want the truth is he's not a high level fighter and ufc competition is just much better then any other organization. I think even mike perry would stand a chance with him

 

[POWER2]

Johnny also beat Askren in wrestling in High School. Hendricks is a terrible matchup for Ben as is GSP as well. But everybody else after that? Hmmm I don't know I think he had a pretty good chance at that belt.

How do you get a belt without getting past Hendricks and GSP? LOL

 

[chinarice]

Johnny also beat Askren in wrestling in High School. Hendricks is a terrible matchup for Ben as is GSP as well. But everybody else after that? Hmmm I don't know I think he had a pretty good chance at that belt.

His only chance was Lawler, who KO'ed Askren in the first 30 seconds of their fight. Rory would have violated Askren. Robbie Lawler ruined Rory.

 

[josephsjoseph]

no one can deny he was good and could have done well in the ufc had i come through earlier. You could tell by how he walks around that his body has been through to much.

 

[vanillaisis]

How do you get a belt without getting past Hendricks and GSP? LOL

Hendricks fell off pretty hard after USADA came. GSP retired. When the top dogs at WW were Rory, Lawler, and Woodley I think he could possibly beat all of them. Have you read anything I've posted it should all be pretty clear what I think.

 

[Gamer007]

He would have had zero chance of getting the belt at any point the last 10 years.

His ego was always the problem, if he took his training more seriously a decade ago he would be a legit top 10 even today.

 

[dildos]

Lol what did I just read in the op?

that post is nearly as bad as Askrens skills and striking are.

everyone knows he got lucky against robbie, fight should have been called off in the first 30 seconds. Ben had such a comical ufc run. It’s a shame he nearly dieded 4 times in 3 fights.

 

[method115]

Major props though for taking Maia down and defending a few subs. Every other grappler except Shields avoided the ground with Maia like it was a deathzone. He took risks in fights and they were never boring.

Agreed he did not perform well in the UFC but I enjoyed every single fight he was in.

 

[Furious77]

He came to the UFC too late in his career......5 years earlier and he would have been a dominant champion. His pure wrestling is still better than 95% of these guys anyway.

Go ahead and pretend he's a can if it helps you sleep at night, but at least he didn't "catch colitis" when going up against the killers.

He wouldn't have ever gotten past Maia at any point in his career.

 

[BEATDOWNS]

Figure skating is too brutal of a sport for them dude

Yeah i think your right on that one. lols

 

[mkt]

He came to the UFC too late in his career......5 years earlier and he would have been a dominant champion. His pure wrestling is still better than 95% of these guys anyway.

Go ahead and pretend he's a can if it helps you sleep at night, but at least he didn't "catch colitis" when going up against the killers.

Garbage. 5 years earlier and he would've lost embarrassingly to GSP and been KO'd by Hendricks, Lombard, prime Lawler and others. Shields, Maia and Palhares would both outgrapple and submit him (at least Maia and Palhares would submit him).

 

[Lint]

He came to the UFC too late in his career......5 years earlier and he would have been a dominant champion. His pure wrestling is still better than 95% of these guys anyway.

Go ahead and pretend he's a can if it helps you sleep at night, but at least he didn't "catch colitis" when going up against the killers.

I get you, Toqueville, but UFC is overflowing with wrestlers, and he got beaten by each and every fighter he faced.
A lot of people dis him due to not wanting more wrestlers (count me in) in UFC, but even those who don't don't have a single flashy victory in UFC to brag about.

Maybe he'll start outpointing everyone in UFC (which will be painful to watch), he still has a last chance, yet if he doesn't come out on top Dana will take the opportunity to fire him and show that UFC is one step above the competition.