Ben Askren, Ben Askren book

Ben Askren would come out of retirement for Masvidal rematch

Ben Askren vs. Jorge Masvidal 2? Askren says he is game. On Daniel Cormier’s YouTube show, Askren stated that he’d be open to coming out of retirement if UFC President Dana White asked him to fight Masvidal at UFC 300.

Ben Askren and Jorge Masvidal rematch?

A rematch between Ben Askren and Jorge Masvidal would be a bit weird. The two had a heated rivalry which ended up with a five second knockout via flying knee from Masvidal. That happened at UFC 239 in 2019.

Despite all that, Ben Askren says he’s down to run it back.

“Listen, if Dana called me and said, ‘Jorge Masvidal, UFC 300,’ I don’t give a damn – I’m out of retirement. I’ll fight him. I don’t care. I would love to.”

Of course, Askren throws some water on the flames saying that he doesn’t believe Masvidal, who recently announced his own unretirement, would take the fight.

“But he’ll never say yes to that, unless he loses some more money or something,” Askren said. “But it would be great. I would love to. It’s one of those things,” said Askren. “I don’t want to be begging and groveling for it. It’s unlikely to happen. So it’s like, if someone calls me and says it’s going to happen, okay, I’m there. If they don’t, I’m just going to live my life.”

Ben Askren also interjects that he is in shape, still. He wrestles all the time and would be open to fight despite him not striking much.

“I’m ready.” Askren continues, “I stay in shape. I’m wrestling a lot. I don’t strike much — I don’t strike at all, I just wrestle. But I’m in good shape. If he wants to fight, great. But I’m not going to campaign for it.”

At the end of the day, this one’s a long shot. Masvidal has no way of topping a five second knockout, unless he did it in four. But that is far fetched.

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Blaine Henry
Your friendly neighborhood fight fan. I watch way too many fights and my wife lets me know it.