Ben Askren is itching for another shot at Jorge Masvidal inside the Octagon, showing a willingness to come out of retirement for a potential rematch. The former ONE and Bellator Champion, who called it quits in 2019 after facing a quick defeat by Masvidal and a submission by Demian Maia, believes there’s unfinished business with his long-time rival.
Despite more than four years away from professional fighting, Askren remains motivated to seek redemption against Masvidal, who recently announced his return to the sport. The possibility of a lucrative rematch is something Askren eagerly awaits, expressing his readiness to step back into the cage if the call comes.
In a recent conversation with Daniel Cormier, Askren stated, “If Dana called me and said Ben, Jorge Masvidal, UFC 300, international [fight week], I don’t give a damn. I’m out of retirement. I’ll fight him. I don’t care.”
Ben Askren Wants Jorge Masvidal at UFC 300
The quick and dramatic loss to Masvidal at UFC 239 marked the end of Askren’s perfect 19-0 career, as he succumbed to a flying knee, setting the record for the fastest knockout in UFC history.
For Askren, the rematch is a matter of settling a score, and he’s open to facing Masvidal “anytime, anywhere” as long as it’s inside the Octagon. Despite his foray into boxing, courtesy of a match against Jake Paul, Askren acknowledges his shortcomings in the boxing realm and insists on keeping the action within the MMA arena.
“Yeah [only in MMA],” Askren admitted. “I suck at boxing. You guys all saw that [knockout against Paul]? I’m not fighting boxing. Are we dumb? I’m not good at boxing.”
While the allure of avenging his first and most devastating career loss is strong, Askren remains pragmatic about the possibility. “I wanna fight this guy… but, he’ll never say yes to that unless maybe he loses some more money or something,” he commented. “It would be great. I would love to. But you know what? It’s one of those things kinda like what you said about Michael [Chandler]. It’s like, I don’t wanna be begging and grovelling for it. I mean, it’s unlikely to happen. If someone calls me and says it’s gonna happen, okay, I’m there. If they don’t, I’m just gonna live my life.”
Revenge?
Ben Askren’s openness to a rematch with Jorge Masvidal not only adds a layer of excitement to potential future UFC events but also showcases the fighter’s willingness to always have that itch to right the wrong. Whether or not the rematch materializes, Askren’s positive outlook and focus on enjoying life outside the cage highlight a balanced perspective on his fighting career.
Would you like to see Jorge Masvidal and Ben Askren run it back? Let us know in the comments!
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images and Embed from Getty Images
