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Demetrious Johnson & Ben Askren Agree ‘Everybody Won’ In UFC-ONE Championship Trade

In October of 2018, the MMA world was left stunned by a first of it’s kind trade that saw two big names in the sport switch promotions. The UFC gained the trash-talking and controversial Ben Askren with the promotion’s former flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson going the other way and joining ONE Championship. From a basic […]

From a basic view, it appears that ONE got the better of the deal. “Mighty Mouse” still had years of elite level competition in him after fighting for the last time in 2023 and during his time in the promotion, he produced some of their biggest moments, was a great ambassador for them and remained one of the greatest to ever do it.

However, though Askren would only fight three times inside the Octagon, he created a lot of interest for his two fights against Robbie Lawler and Jorge Masvidal in particular and though Johnson was loved by hardcore fans, he didn’t have that same draw that bringing Askren in created, even if it did only last a short time.

During a recent episode of Johnson’s MightyCast, he was joined by Askren as the two men spoke about the details of the trade and the time they spent in both promotions. The flyweight GOAT started off by outlining his thoughts on how it all played out which Askren quickly agreed with.

“My standpoint, I said everybody won. I got to go to ONE Championship, make good money. You got to come to UFC, get the opportunity to fight and see if you can do it there.”

With Johnson referencing those big fights and moments that Askren created during his time in the UFC, “Funky” then responded by talking about how ONE didn’t lose any of the interest that Askren brought to the table because at that point, he was already retired unless an opportunity like the UFC landed on his table.

“I mean ONE Championship, the thing that was golden for them is like I wasn’t gonna fight. I was done. If you stay in UFC, I’m assuming you’re going to continue to fight at least for a while until you don’t enjoy it enough to be done and in ONE Championship, I was legit done. I wasn’t fighting anymore and so they essentially sold an asset that was off market and you had a five-year run.”

Ben Askren Not Shocked By Dana White’s Bashing Of Francis Ngannou: ‘When He Can’t Get What He Wants…’

Former Bellator and ONE Championship titleholder Ben Askren can relate to Francis Ngannou’s recent back and forth with UFC CEO Dana White. The aftermath of Ngannou’s successful return to mixed martial arts and PFL debut earlier this month has largely centered around the disparaging comments made by his ex-employer. White has claimed that he didn’t […]

Continue Reading Ben Askren Not Shocked By Dana White’s Bashing Of Francis Ngannou: ‘When He Can’t Get What He Wants…’ at MMA News.

Former Bellator and ONE Championship titleholder Ben Askren can relate to Francis Ngannou’s recent back and forth with UFC CEO Dana White.

The aftermath of Ngannou’s successful return to mixed martial arts and PFL debut earlier this month has largely centered around the disparaging comments made by his ex-employer.

White has claimed that he didn’t like and even wanted to release Ngannou — who went on to win the title and become one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time — following his loss to Derrick Lewis in 2018.

The UFC boss has also accused the Cameroonian of being “all about the money” while simultaneously insisting that Ngannou turned down a more lucrative future in the Octagon. That’s in addition to saying he ran from Jon Jones despite “The Predator” calling to fight “Bones” in the same year he defeated Stipe Miocic to capture gold.

Though White has usual set of backers in the community, many have poked holes in the UFC president’s remarks. That includes someone previously on the receiving end of such a barrage.

During a recent episode of his Funky and the Champ YouTube show alongside Daniel Cormier, Askren likened Ngannou’s situation to his own when a potential UFC signing back in 2013 fell through.

From PFL standouts Ngannou and Cris Cyborg to former fighters like himself and Randy Couture, “Funky” noted the multitude of examples when it comes to White berating athletes who go against him.

“Dana spent years lying, saying I didn’t want to fight the best, I didn’t want challenges, I was running away, and that couldn’t have been further from the truth,” Askren said. “So, it sucked to have this guy – it’s essentially slander, saying things about me that I knew weren’t true. Dana has this part of his personality when he can’t get what he wants, and in that case, he didn’t offer me a contract, so he kind of got what he wanted. But then I think because I was continuing to have success and people were continuing to follow me, he wanted me off in a dark corner where everyone ignored me or something.

“He’s done the same thing with [Cris] Cyborg, I believe Randy Couture had a similar experience, obviously now Francis. If I thought really hard I could probably think of some other ones. But there’s this weird part of Dana’s personality where, if he doesn’t get exactly what he wants, he just starts crapping on people,” Askren continued. “And because he has a big microphone and because he’s generally very truthful and generally correct, people just believe him. So I had to deal with many years of Dana telling lies about me that were very harmful to me, that he had no reason or basis for doing.”

In this instance, Ngannou has had plenty of support from the MMA masses. A number of fans and media members have called White out for his recent remarks and accused him of contradictory statements regarding “The Predator.”

The Cameroonian himself doesn’t appear fazed. In addition to securing the contractual terms he was after away from the UFC, Ngannou has also been able to fulfil his dream of competing against the best competition in boxing.

Divert attention to the real matter by manipulating the narrative. Lol https://t.co/vW2xPihDrk

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) October 25, 2024

Read More: Fighter Who Asked Dana White For A Contract During UFC 308 Presser Gets His Shot At Upcoming Event

Continue Reading Ben Askren Not Shocked By Dana White’s Bashing Of Francis Ngannou: ‘When He Can’t Get What He Wants…’ at MMA News.

Dana White’s ‘Weird Personality Trait’ Exposed? Ben Askren Opens Up on UFC Chief’s Feud Tactics

Dana White tends to throw a hissy fit when he doesn’t get what he wants. At least, that’s what…

Dana White tends to throw a hissy fit when he doesn’t get what he wants. At least, that’s what Ben Askren thinks.

In 2018, Askren was part of a history-making trade that sent him from ONE Championship to the UFC in exchange for P4P great Demetrious Johnson. While ‘Mighty Mouse’ flourished in his new surroundings, winning both the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix and the ONE flyweight world championship, Askren struggled to find the same success inside the Octagon that he found in other promotions.

After dropping back-to-back bouts against Jorge Masvidal and Demian Maia, ‘Funky’ laid down his gloves and called it a career.

However, before Askren exited the sport altogether, he found himself at odds with Dana White after the UFC CEO accused him of refusing to fight the best possible opponents and infamously declared that he’d “rather watch flies f*ck than watch Ben Askren fight.”

Funky’ believes White is now doing something similar to Francis Ngannou, who has been regularly accused by White of ducking a fight with the UFC’s current undisputed heavyweight champion, Jon Jones.

“I’ve obviously had the same experience with Dana. And I mostly think Dana does a great job,” Askren said on his Funky and The Champ podcast with Daniel Cormier. “Obviously as a businessman, he does an amazing job. I think he showed a lot of courage when he brought the UFC back before all the professional sports, I respect that a lot…to which point Dana spent years saying I didn’t want to fight the best, didn’t want challenges, I was running away. And that couldn’t’ve been further from the truth. So it sucked for this guy, it’s essentially slander, saying things about me that I knew weren’t true…

“Dana has this part of his personality when he can’t get what he wants, and in that case, he didn’t offer me a contract. He did the same thing with Cyborg, I believe Randy Couture had a similar experience, Francis…but there’s this weird part of Dana’s personality where if he can’t get exactly what he wants, he starts crapping on people.

“And because he has a big microphone and he’s generally very truthful, and correct, so people just believe him…I had to deal with many years of Dana telling lies about me that were just really harmful. He had no reason or basis for doing [it]…it’s a really big negative, I don’t know why he’s like that, and it doesn’t really make sense given the stature and power he has, for him to throw fits when he doesn’t get exactly what he wants” (h/t BJPenn.com).

Francis Ngannou makes a splash in his PFL debut while his feud with Dana White Rages on

White and Ngannou have been traded barbs over the last several weeks with the UFC CEO recently claiming that he wanted to cut ‘The Predator’ from his UFC contract after he’d lost back-to-back bouts against Stipe Miocic and Derrick Henry. White claimed that Ngannou was “not a good person” and only kept him on the roster after two other UFC associates convinced him to give the Cameroonian another chance.

Whether or not that’s true or not is now irrelevant as Ngannou went on to capture the heavyweight division’s top prize before exiting the promotion to score a bigger bag under the PFL banner.

Ngannou recently made his promotional debut at the ‘Battle of the Giants’ pay-per-view in Saudi Arabia, landing a dominant first-round TKO against Renan Ferreira.

Demetrious Johnson Analyzes Whether UFC Or ONE Championship Got The Better Of His Trade

In October of 2018, a first of it’s kind deal would take place in the MMA landscape that would see two major names in the sport swap promotion. After losing his UFC flyweight title to Henry Cejudo, Demetrious Johnson was traded to ONE Championship. Former ONE welterweight champion Ben Askren went the other way in […]

Continue Reading Demetrious Johnson Analyzes Whether UFC Or ONE Championship Got The Better Of His Trade at MMA News.

Former ONE welterweight champion Ben Askren went the other way in a switch that defined the final stages in the career of both men. Now that he is officially retired from MMA, announcing his decision at ONE 168 last month, Johnson reflected on this in a recent interview.

“Mighty Mouse” would go on to fight seven-times in ONE Championship’s flyweight division where he won the flyweight World Grand Prix and became the champion, defending his title once to close out his trilogy with Adriano Moraes before retiring.

He also competed in a first of it’s kind mixed-rules fight against Muay Thai superstar Rodtang Jitmuangnon at the promotion’s historic ONE X card back in 2022 which Johnson won via submission.

Askren, on the other hand, fought just three times in the UFC but produced two incredibly memorable moments when he submitting Robbie Lawler and was knocked out by Jorge Masvidal.

Johnson had always been underappreciated by the UFC in a lot of people’s eyes so despite the fact that he was still one of, if not, the best in the world, the move made sense for him at the time.

During his recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Johnson gave his detailed thoughts on which party got the better of the trade. He makes the case for why in some ways, both the UFC and ONE Championship got what they wanted out of the trade.

“I mean, it’s no doubt, you look at your boy, I was a f****** working horse. Working horse, the best in the world. Probably pound-for-pound if you didn’t count Jon Jones for skipping me and then, you know, I think Ben Askren was out, he was retired, and me and Ben Askren, we had him on the MightyCast, it’ll drop soon, and we talked about it. But I think when you look at like just money-wise, I think the UFC won because of how much more money they were able to generate and quote unquote from Dana White and those guys, I wasn’t making them any money. But, I think the sheer of just the f****** horse that ONE Championship got, I mean, if I wanted to, I could still fight.

“I don’t think Ben Askren could still fight. I could still fight if I truly wanted to, he can’t, and you look at the fights I was able to produce, the knockouts, the buzz that I was able to produce for ONE Championship, I mean it’s easy clear that they got the better athlete, the better fighter, but when it comes down to the money aspect of it, they probably won. But it’s what are you looking for? Are you looking to generate more money or are you looking to have the best athletes in the world? You want to have the best athletes in the world? They got my black a**.”

Continue Reading Demetrious Johnson Analyzes Whether UFC Or ONE Championship Got The Better Of His Trade at MMA News.

Ben Askren rips ‘Addict’ Conor McGregor amid UFC layoff: ‘This guy is clearly out partying’

Ben Askren is the latest in the long list of fighters and critics of speculating that former two-weight UFC…

Ben Askren is the latest in the long list of fighters and critics of speculating that former two-weight UFC champion, Conor McGregor is dealing with an obvious substance abuse addiction, claiming it should be clear to see the Dubliner is too busy “partying” to return to the Octagon.

McGregor, a former undisputed lightweight titleholder and featherweight champion, has yet to make good since fracturing his left tibia and fibula in a first round doctor’s stoppage TKO loss to Dustin Poirier three years ago in the main event of UFC 264.

Coach backs Conor McGregor for win over Michael Chandler: 'He's an absolute sharpshooter'

And ruled from a scheduled return back in June at UFC 303 during International Fight Week, McGregor fractured a toe on the same leg as his aforementioned injury setback, and withdrew from a welterweight clash with Michael Chandler.

With the Missouri native moving on from the failed pairing over the course of last weekend and booking his own return in a five round rematch with ex-champion, Charles Oliveira at UFC 309, McGregor has been left opponent-less as he prepares for a return.

Conor McGregor slams 'Greedy and corrupted' officials over expensive bike shed

Ben Askren claims Conor McGregor is battling an addiction

However, according to one-time welterweight contender and former ONE Championship and Bellator MMA titleholder, Askren, veteran counter striker, Conor McGregor is dealing with addiction issues away from combat sports.

“It’s pretty obvious to me that Conor McGregor is an addict,” Ben Askren said on his podcast. “And he is rich enough that it doesn’t really have a negative impact on his life. Everyone kind of lets him do what he wants to do, but this guy clearly is out partying, can’t show up for training camp. And then because he can’t show up for training camp, he can’t get ready to fight.”

“There’s videos of him partying constantly,” Askren explained. “And listen, if you’re rich and famous and you’re not murdering anyone or anything worse where you’re going to go to jail, I guess, fine, whatever. Go live your life.”

Ben Askren criticizes Dana White’s handling of Jon Jones’ heavyweight delay: ‘Maybe Jon has some dirt on Dana’

Amid the current fiasco at the heavyweight limit with two championships in play, UFC CEO, Dana White has received…

Amid the current fiasco at the heavyweight limit with two championships in play, UFC CEO, Dana White has received flak from former welterweight star, Ben Askren who questioned the continued delay on Jon Jones’ return to action.

Jones, the current heavyweight champion, lifted vacant spoils in March of last year, submitting French contender, Ciryl Gane with a dominant opening round guillotine choke, however, he has yet to return amid a pectoral tendon injury.

Expected to make his comeback in an end-of-year outing at UFC 309 in November at Madison Square Garden in a rescheduled showdown with former two-time champion, Stipe Miocic.

However, an interim championship remains in play – with current gold holder, Tom Aspinall defending that crown just earlier this month at UFC 304 with a blistering rematch knockout of Curtis Blaydes in Manchester.

And staking his claim for an immediate shot at either Jon Jones or Stipe Miocic, Aspinall was informed by White how he actually “doesn’t deserve anything” in his next outing – despite his constant pursuit of a unification pairing.

Ben Askren weighs on Jon Jones fiasco with Dana White

Himself weighing in on the fiasco, the previously mentioned, Askren claimed Jon Jones must have some form of “dirt” on White as to why he has not fought Aspinall – and is instead expected to take on the veteran, Miocic next.

Jon Jones weighs 260lbs ahead of UFC 309 return 16 weeks to become the beast

“I almost feel like maybe Jon (Jones) has some dirt on Dana (White) or something,” Ben Askren said on Daniel Cormier’s YouTube channel. “Because Dana wouldn’t put up with this type of behavior. This is what the UFC has been founded on, whereas boxing [is not].”

“‘We want the best guys to fight, we want to see who the best guy is, no shenanigans, no padding records to go to 40,’” Ben Askren continued. “The fact that Jon – I don’t know if allowed is the right term, but that Dana is playing along and letting him and Stipe (Miocic) fight, when Stipe is going to be close to four years [out] by the time they fight.”