Dana White fires back at Ben Askren: ‘This guy is an absolute moron’

As recent as late-August, it looked as if UFC President Dana White was warming up to the idea of Ben Askren fighting in the UFC. But following White’s Wednesday appearance on ‘UFC Tonight,’ it’d be hard to say that’s still the case.

“I thought Tito (Ortiz) was the dumbest human being I ever met. This guy (Askren) is an absolute moron,” White said when asked about the undefeated ONE FC welterweight champ.

“It’s almost like, you know, he gets it. He’s copying everything Tito does. Obviously you get lots of attention if you talk about the UFC and if you talk about how you don’t like me or whatever it is, you obviously get lots of attention. He stole that. Tito outta sue him for stealing that one.”

A former Olympic wrestler and Bellator champion, Askren (14-0) has been anything but shy with his criticism of the UFC, especially after the promotion showed little interest in signing him despite his extensive credentials.

His war of words against the UFC’s operating practices inadvertently reached a fever over the weekend, when ‘Inside MMA’ co-host Kenny Rice engaged Askren in a bizarre exchange before pulling the plug on him mid-interview.

“The reality is, he claims that this is where he wants to fight, but the kid won’t shut his mouth,” White said. “If he’s that happy over in Asia, and that organization is doing so well, then what the hell is he talking about me for. If your life is so great, you love where you’re fighting and that Asian organization is just growing leaps and bounds by the day, then it sounds like everything is going great. If everything is going your way, then why are you talking about me, and why are you concerned about what is going on with the UFC. Do your thing.”

As recent as late-August, it looked as if UFC President Dana White was warming up to the idea of Ben Askren fighting in the UFC. But following White’s Wednesday appearance on ‘UFC Tonight,’ it’d be hard to say that’s still the case.

“I thought Tito (Ortiz) was the dumbest human being I ever met. This guy (Askren) is an absolute moron,” White said when asked about the undefeated ONE FC welterweight champ.

“It’s almost like, you know, he gets it. He’s copying everything Tito does. Obviously you get lots of attention if you talk about the UFC and if you talk about how you don’t like me or whatever it is, you obviously get lots of attention. He stole that. Tito outta sue him for stealing that one.”

A former Olympic wrestler and Bellator champion, Askren (14-0) has been anything but shy with his criticism of the UFC, especially after the promotion showed little interest in signing him despite his extensive credentials.

His war of words against the UFC’s operating practices inadvertently reached a fever over the weekend, when ‘Inside MMA’ co-host Kenny Rice engaged Askren in a bizarre exchange before pulling the plug on him mid-interview.

“The reality is, he claims that this is where he wants to fight, but the kid won’t shut his mouth,” White said. “If he’s that happy over in Asia, and that organization is doing so well, then what the hell is he talking about me for. If your life is so great, you love where you’re fighting and that Asian organization is just growing leaps and bounds by the day, then it sounds like everything is going great. If everything is going your way, then why are you talking about me, and why are you concerned about what is going on with the UFC. Do your thing.”