Ben Askren On Burkman's UFC Deal

[The Reed]

Look at the GOAT getting treated like shit by Zuffa

Ask MMA legends Randy, Tito, Wanderlei and others how that turned out in the end.

 

[lowsingle]

https://twitter.com/Benaskren/status/518187836068356096

Gotta feel for the guy.

how do you feel for him?

dana told him to go sign to WSOF and askren said no, then signed to ONE saying dana wont tell him what to do

burkman is even more proof about how easy fighters go between WSOF and UFC. askren would be in the ufc right now if he didnt get all spiteful

You blame him for getting told to go to WSOF when he's a regional champion, undefeated record with a great wrestling background? They let complete rejects into the UFC and Ben can't get a deal? I don't blame him for talking shit and not wanting to fight for pennies.

so instead he signed to a long ONE contract as a regional champion with an undefeated record/great wrestling. he got caught between ufc and bellator and he played it wrong.

 

[eseseses681]

Signing a 7-figure contract with a guaranteed title shot is "playing it wrong" when compared to a 5-figure contract with no guarantee of a title shot in the near future? Seems legit.

Also, as for why Askren didn't sign with the WSOF when Dana told him to:

Interesting to note, though, is that White may have indirectly swayed Askren's decision with his late-November suggestion that Askren sign with WSOF to "show what he's got."

"That definitely has something to do with it," Askren laughed. "I have a really hard time with people telling me what to do. If I'm your employee and I work for Zuffa, I'm probably going to listen to you.

"But having Dana tell me to go [to WSOF] was something that was definitely, it was in the back of my mind. Like, dude I'm not going to let this guy push me around. I don't even work for this guy and he's going to push me around?"

 

[MGLucas]

I think Dana is signing cans just to troll Askren at this point.

 

[benjaminbuttons]

If Ben ever wants to fight in the UFC he should probably keep his mouth shut, he knows this as well. Which makes him calling out Hendricks look even dumber.

 

[WrestlinganJudo]

Askren isn't even a second rate John Fitch

How can you say that. Fitch had 27 wins and 39 loses in the NCAA. Askren is more than on another level from Fitch.

I am confident that Askren would tear up Fitch in MMA and I know he would in wrestling.

 

[Deleted member 429137]

Come on now, Askren is not Fedor. Askren isn't even a second rate John Fitch and the UFC cut that guy.

Maybe they're just genuinely uninterested when it comes to Askren and feel that he has absolutely nothing to bring to the UFC. I certainly see him that way, and I've suffered through a lot of his fights.

You might have a point if Dana's ego wasn't like a fragile little girl and had a huge history of interfering with fighters.

 

[JTJ89]

askren vs lombard would be sick

 

[Oeshon]

No he's not, not even a little bit. Bellator not re-signing him and UFC not signing him are great moves on there part, both orgs have exciting dynamic fighters at WW, the last thing they needed was a boring ass fighter LnPing for three rounds.

All this demonstrates is that these organisations are not about "the best fighting the best" or "the best fighters in the world", they are about selling PPVs and making money.

Now there is nothing wrong with that if you are honest about, but the UFC certainly isn't. It is one of their biggest marketing and promoting spiels. Not signing Ben Askren is complete hypocrisy. It doesn't matter how much of a douche he is, or how boring a fighter he is, he should be given a chance to compete.

If Dana said "the dude is boring and will beat all my marketable fighters" sure, but he is all like "yeah he hasn't beaten anyone, he should sign with WSOF", meanwhile signing a bunch of people not anywhere NEAR Askren's level and complaining that they need more fighters to do more cards.

 

[BeardotheWeirdo]

Bellator released Ben so the UFC would have no excuse NOT to hire Ben. They negated the matching rights clause so UFC wouldn't have to over-pay (like they did for Hector and Eddie) and Dana told him to go to WSOF instead. Dana just wanted to make Bellator look inferior to WSOF.

Dana might as well have said, trash your boss that's been good to you for the past 3 years, and then sign with my friends org (WSOF) to make Bellator seem inferior to them, take a pay cut, and we'll probably give you a shot in the future, even though you deserved one long ago.

The idea that Ben had to prove himself in WSOF, after owning in Bellator is ridiculous. UFC just tried to use him to ruin Bellators image, just like they did with Eddie, who didn't get his title shot when he signed like UFC swore in court they were planning on giving him.

So now Ben talks shit, and the majority of fans tell him he should shut up and kiss Dana's ass... typical sheep, driven by fear...

 

[MrPapaya]

Stupid to criticize Askren here. He got told to go to WSOF despite being an undefeated Bellator champion and them having no logical reason not to sign him. Then he goes to One FC instead which was a better deal for him financially(actually, probably better than his Bellator deal or what he'd get starting in the UFC too). But anyone would feel annoyed at getting rejected from the UFC for such bullshit reasons.

 

[hot carl]

Arsken should really keep quiet & not shit on the ufc, if he ever wants to grace the octagon.

this.

being a top ranked fighter in the world is not enough to fight in premiere mma org, you have to kiss the boss's ass, or lose a fight on purpose like josh did and agree to get squashed in upcoming fight.

 

[Admiral Ackbar]

Ben's in a tough spot. If he ever makes it to the UFC it will just look like he is caving into Dana and I'm sure Dana would continue to run his mouth about how much Askren needs him.

 

[BJ@LW&WW]

Also, as for why Askren didn't sign with the WSOF when Dana told him to:

wow i did not know that bit. if he really let that little statement by dana sway him to signing with onefc instead of wsof, hes got some real poor decision making.


either way, anyone not impressed by askren and in particular his performance against koreshkov is blind. I really do wish askren would have signed with wsof despite how terrible they seem to be doing. at the end of the day, they have palhares, fitch, and steve carl and all three would make great fights.

 

[killakillakilla]

how do you feel for him?

dana told him to go sign to WSOF and askren said no, then signed to ONE saying dana wont tell him what to do

burkman is even more proof about how easy fighters go between WSOF and UFC. askren would be in the ufc right now if he didnt get all spiteful



so instead he signed to a long ONE contract as a regional champion with an undefeated record/great wrestling. he got caught between ufc and bellator and he played it wrong.

None of this has anything to do with why Askren's not in the UFC. It's got nothing to do with his mouth or what org he has or currently fights for.

The reason why the UFC refuses to sign Ben is because most of his fights are very boring but he has the skill to beat exciting contenders. If Ben wasn't as good of a fighter as he is, the UFC would've signed him already. It's the same reason the UFC released Fitch, Shields and Okami the first chance they could because they were all boring fighters that had the skill level to beat exciting contenders. Fighters like that are bad for ratings but difficult to release once signed cause they always win their fights.

 

[Meathead Jock]

It's the same reason the UFC released Fitch, Shields and Okami the first chance they could because they were all boring fighters that had the skill level to beat exciting contenders.

Difference being those 3 fighters showed no interest in trying to self generate hype. The UFC has had plenty of "boring" fighters that are cared about by the casuals.

 

[killakillakilla]

Difference being those 3 fighters showed no interest in trying to self generate hype. The UFC has had plenty of "boring" fighters that are cared about by the casuals.

It takes a special type of fighter to fight boring fights but still be able to generate hype. The only one I can really think of is Chael and I doubt his hype woud've been nearly as big without the 1st Anderson fight in which he cheated to perform well.

The thing about Fitch, Okami and Shields is that they all were boring fighters BUT very skilled and able to beat contenders. The second part of that sentence after the BUT is just as important as the first part. That's the reason why the UFC won't sign Askren.

 

[Toco]

how do you feel for him?

dana told him to go sign to WSOF and askren said no, then signed to ONE saying dana wont tell him what to do

burkman is even more proof about how easy fighters go between WSOF and UFC. askren would be in the ufc right now if he didnt get all spiteful



so instead he signed to a long ONE contract as a regional champion with an undefeated record/great wrestling. he got caught between ufc and bellator and he played it wrong.

no, it was way smarter signing to one fc, nice contract, nice salary

whats fucking him up is that he continues to shit talk the ufc

 

[Strychnine]

Feel what? Its his fault he doesn't want to be Dana's B*tch and wants to be the big rebel.

Fixed that for you. :icon_lol:

 

[kingJohn]

Fixed that for you. :icon_lol:

How exactly would he be "Dana's bitch" if he signed to the UFC?