Forne welterviktsmästaren i Bellator och ONE FC, Ben Askren, gjorde förra helgen sin debut i UFC mot tidigare mästaren Robbie Lawler.
Askren lyckades då segra redan i första ronden via submission, men kontrovers uppstod då domaren Herb Dean gjorde en felbedömning.
Dana White vill nu att man ska ha en rematch mellan de två, fast Askren hellre vill möta vinnaren av Darren Till vs. Jorge Masvidal. Enligt NSAC behövs dock ingen retur.
För några år sedan var White och Askren i tjafs på Twitter, där UFC-bossen bland annat kallade honom för en tråkig fighter. Han tyckte också att Askren kunde gå några matcher i ONE FC innan ett UFC-kontrakt kunde diskuteras.
Idag är Askren i UFC och White menar att han inte har något otalt med honom.
Detta är dock ingenting som Askren köper.
Via ’The MMA Hour’:
Dana’s disdain for me is just so clear and evident. It’s so hilarious, because he keeps saying, ‘No, I like you, Ben. I don’t dislike you.’ But then literally every action, every body language tells a totally different story, that he is like somehow repulsed by me. He hasn’t liked me forever. He didn’t like me in 2013 when they refused to sign me; he doesn’t like me now.
I have offered to sit down with the guy multiple times to be reasonable, like two adults should do. He’s not taken me up one time. I genuinely don’t know what his problem with me is.
White menar att stoppet i deras match var dåligt och att de därför måste mötas igen.
Askren känner att detta överskuggade hans prestation i debutmatchen.
I think that should have been the story of the night, more than anything else. Like, I dealt with a lot of adversity there. Most guys, 98 percent of the division covers up and takes their ass whooping. There was no quit in me — I just kept fighting.
I feel like the ending and Dana’s whining about the ending kind of overshadowed what I thought was not an ideal performance for me, but definitely a gritty performance that showed a lot of heart.
Det enda Askren vill nu är att sätta sig ner med White och lägga ner stridsyxan. White ska dock ha undvikt detta.
I’m not asking for more money. I’m asking to sit down and have a conversation for 30 minutes and that shouldn’t be too much to ask. That’s something that a reasonable person should sit down and have with me.
To get on the same page. ‘What’s your frickin’ problem with me? What is your problem?’ That’s what I want to know. ‘What’s your problem?
White förnekar dock detta skulle ha hänt.
Det här hade han att säga om Askrens uttalande:
That dude is nuts. He got punched around a little bit tonight. Did he say that after the fight? He got punched around a little bit. That’s crazy. He’s never asked me for 30 minutes. Ever. I’ve never ever turned down a fighter that’s asked me, ‘Can we talk?’ Never once have I ever turned down a fighter. Even Tito [Ortiz]. Never done it — ever.
