UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre is more than happy to welcome his Bellator counterpart Ben Askren to the Octagon, should he end up joining the promotion.
“Of course (I’d like to fight him),” GSP told Mike Bohn of MMAJunkie.com. “He’s a good fighter, undefeated, and yes, if he comes, I’ll fight him. No problem.”
Askren, a decorated wrestler and former Olympian, has a 12-0 MMA record and has been the Bellator welterweight champion since 2010. His most recent fight at Bellator 97 against Andrey Koreshkov was also the last on his Bellator contract, which means he’s now a free agent.
However, as with all fighters on the roster, Bellator has a contract-matching clause, which grants the promotion the right to match any offer that the UFC could give Askren. This complex situation left Bellator’s former lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez in limbo for almost two years.
But Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney has said that he’ll let Askren go without any fuss if he’s given an immediate title shot against GSP.
UFC president Dana White treated that offer with suspicion, and it’s unlikely that the 29-year-old Askren would be parachuted into a title fight against the 11-time UFC welterweight champion.
Still, the matchup is intriguing when you consider Askren’s dominance in Bellator. His wrestling skills might only be matched by GSP in the same weight class.
“Bring him in; I’ll fight everyone,” St-Pierre said. “I am the champion, and I have no choice, so it’s no problem. I’m not afraid.”
GSP, meanwhile, is getting ready to face Johny Hendricks in his ninth straight title defence, which takes place in Las Vegas at UFC 167 on Nov. 16.
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