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Ben Askren questions why Chael Sonnen agreed to boxing fight with UFC legend Anderson Silva on June 15

Ben Askren questions why Chael Sonnen agreed to a boxing fight with UFC legend Anderson Silva on June 15 ‘Funky’ is not a fan of Chael Sonnen taking a boxing match with Anderson Silva. On Friday, June 15,…

‘Funky’ is not a fan of Chael Sonnen taking a boxing match with Anderson Silva.

On Friday, June 15, ‘The American Gangster’ will step inside the squared circle for a trilogy bout with his greatest UFC rival in Brazil. The bout will come nearly a dozen years removed from their last meeting inside the Octagon and weeks before their inaugural meeting at UFC 117 is forever enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame.

The announcement came as a shock to fight fans considering Chael Sonnen, a former three-time UFC title challenger, was best known for his wrestling skills rather than his stand-up game — as was the case with former ONE and Bellator MMA champion Ben Askren when he signed up for a boxing match with YouTube sensation Jake Paul.

At the time, Paul was still making a name for himself in the world of combat sports, unlike Silva who is already considered to be one of the best strikers in MMA history.

Appearing alongside Daniel Cormier on a recent episode of their Funky and the Champ YouTube show, Askren expressed confusion over Sonnen’s decision to box Silva, suggesting that absolutely nothing good can come of it on the side of the West Linn, Oregon native.

“I don’t know,” Askren said. “Chael, I love you, but I don’t know why you’re boxing,” Askren said. “At least when I took my boxing fight, I thought this dude (Paul) sucked. I thought he was really bad. Unfortunately for me, he’s not all that bad and he’s continued to be a boxer and win boxing matches.

“I really don’t know why Chael’s doing it. Anderson is a very good striker. He’s actually had multiple boxing matches… beat Julio César Chávez. So I don’t know why he’s doing it” (h/t MMA News).

Chael Sonnen has not fought since 2019

Outside of their vastly different runs in mixed martial arts, Anderson Silva has already proven himself in the ring, earning victories over former UFC champion Tito Ortiz and the aforementioned Julio César Chávez in 2021. Meanwhile, Sonnen hasn’t sniffed competition since a second-round knockout against Lyoto Machida five years ago — aside from beating the sh*t out of five people in a hotel for disrespecting his wife.

Truth be told, the almighty dollar is probably the motivating factor here, but Askren is not wrong to suggest that Sonnen will be in for a rough night against ‘The Spider’ in South America.

Ex-MMA champ sees Jon Jones only needing ‘two and a half minutes’ to finish Alex Pereira in potential fight

Ben Askren expects Jon Jones to make quick work of Alex Pereira if the two ever tussle inside the…

Ben Askren expects Jon Jones to make quick work of Alex Pereira if the two ever tussle inside the Octagon.

Following Pereira’s sensational first-round knockout of Jamahal Hill at UFC 300, ‘Bones’ took to social media to gauge interest in a potential superfight between himself and the reigning 205-pound champ. Needless to say, fans exploded with excitement online and pundits immediately began debating who would come out on top in the potential champion vs. champion clash.

Speaking with UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier, former Bellator MMA and ONE world champion Ben Askren suggested that Pereira wouldn’t last much longer against Jones than Ciryl Gane did.

“People want to see him have the ability to stop takedowns, because of you can’t stop takedowns [from] Jon Jones, he’s going to take you down and submit you,” Askren said on an episode of Funky & Champ.

“We saw Pereira get taken down by [Israel] Adesanya and he was kept down for, actually, a significant portion of time. And it is kind of wild that we have this guy Pereira, and there’s no doubt he’s making his mark as, possibly, one of the best ever if he keeps winning, yet [there] are questions about his wrestling. Like, how would he do against good wrestling? And we don’t know because somehow Jamahal Hill didn’t try a takedown, [Jiri] Prochazka didn’t try a takedown, [Jan] Blachowicz actually did take him down and keep him down for a round, Strickland didn’t try a takedown. … Like, these guys, they don’t try takedowns.

“He’s won all of these fights … and as he’s fought Sean Strickland and on, besides one round with Jan — and Jan’s not really a wrestler, he possesses some skills but he’s not really a wrestler. [Pereira] has still not fought a wrestler. So we still have all of these questions. So if he fights Jon Jones, I think there’s a chance it’s over in like two and a half minutes. I mean, look what Jon did to Ciryl Gane. He’s a large man, he’s a high-level wrestler, he’s got great grappling skills. Yeah, I think there’s a possibility of that for sure” (h/t MMA Fighting).

Jones secured a quick two-minute submission victory over Gane at UFC 285 to claim the vacant heavyweight title.

‘Bones’ was expected to defend the title against the division’s consensus GOAT Stipe Miocic in November, but a pectoral injury forced him to bow out of the bout.

Askren believes Jon Jones needs to fight Tom Aspinall before Alex Pereira

In the meantime, the UFC has crowned an interim champion in Tom Aspinall after the UK-based star scored a 69-second KO against Sergei Pavlovich inside the world’s most famous arena.

Traditionally, the undisputed champion would unify his belt with that of the interim titleholder upon their return. Unfortunately, that won’t be the case this time around as both Jones and the UFC have remained adamant that ‘Bones’ vs. Miocic will move forward.

With rumors of retirement and now talk of a potential fight with Alex Pereira, it has become increasingly more clear that Jones has no intention of ever fighting Tom Aspinall, much to the chagrin of fight fans and Ben Askren.

“We want to see Jon Jones fight Tom Aspinall,” Askren said. “Aspinall’s got the interim belt, Jon’s got the [other] belt. It just doesn’t make any sense. Just freaking make them fight, and then if Jon beats him, then Pereira vs. Jon.

“You can’t leave Tom Aspinall sitting here with the interim belt.”

Ben Askren shuts down future UFC title fight for Conor McGregor: ‘He hasn’t beaten anyone meaningful since 2016’

Former welterweight contender, Ben Askren has shut down the chances of a future title foray for former two-division champion,…

Former welterweight contender, Ben Askren has shut down the chances of a future title foray for former two-division champion, Conor McGregor after his expected return to the UFC later this year, claiming the Dubliner has not beaten any meaningful name in over eight years.

McGregor, a former undisputed lightweight and featherweight championship holder under the banner of the promotion, has been sidelined since he headlined UFC 264 back in 2021, suffering a fractured left tibia and fibula in a first round doctor’s stoppage TKO loss to three-time foe, Dustin Poirier.

And expected to make his return to the Octagon in the summer – potentially at UFC 302 at the end of June during International Fight Week, McGregor revealed he is planning a comeback bout at the middleweight limit against The Ultimate Fighter 31 rival, Michael Chandler.

With UFC 300 in April still without a main event fight, fans have speculated that the Dubliner may find himself installed in the headliner – with other suggesting the introduction of a super lightweight title on the card at the 165 pounds, involving the ex-two-weight champion.

Conor McGregor ruled from future title fight

However, as far as former ONE Championship and Bellator MMA welterweight titleholder, Askren is concerned, McGregor’s recent losing skid should see him skirted from any sort of title fight in the future.

“Conor McGregor hasn’t beaten anyone meaningful since 2016,” Ben Askren told Daniel Cormier during a recent interview. “We’re in 2024, the last time Conor McGregor beat anyone meaningful, Barack Obama was president. Bro, that’s wild, think about that.” (H/T MMA News)

Without a victory since 2020, McGregor most recently landed a first round high-kick knockout win over former lightweight title challenger and Hall of Fame inductee, Donald Cerrone, inside just 40-seconds at the welterweight limit.

Do you think Conor McGregor can work his way back to a title showdown?

Ben Askren Says He’d Come out of Retirement to Fight Jorge Masvidal at UFC 300

Ben Askren’s retirement could be coming to an end if the right opportunity presents itself. The 39-year-old said that he’d be willing to step back into the…

Ben Askren offers to snap retirement for Jorge Masvidal rematch at UFC 300: ‘I’ll fight him, I don’t care’

Following claims from former undisputed welterweight title challenger, Jorge Masvidal that his eight month retirement from combat sports is…

Following claims from former undisputed welterweight title challenger, Jorge Masvidal that his eight month retirement from combat sports is no more, former opponent, Ben Askren has offered to follow suit and fight the Floridian in a rematch at UFC 300 in April.

Askren, a former undisputed ONE Championship and Bellator MMA champion, called time on his mixed martial arts career back in late 2019, after suffering a submission loss to common-foe and former UFC title challenger, Demian Maia in a main event clash in Singapore.

As for Masvidal, the former two-time welterweight title challenger and inaugural symbolic BMF championship winner, called time on his storied mixed martial arts career back in April, following a fourth consecutive loss in the form of a unanimous decision defeat to former title chaser, Gilbert Burns.

However, just eight months later, Masvidal, over the course of the weekend, claimed he was now “unretired” from combat sports competition, leading to speculation that the Miami native is lining up either a UFC comeback or a professional boxing rematch against former foe, Nate Diaz.

Ben Askren suggests UFC 300 return with Jorge Masvidal

And recently offering to make a return against Iowa rival, Askren in a rematch of their UFC 239 clash back in the summer of 2019, Masvidal has again been approached with the idea of a re-run – by Askren himself, who suggested a potential UFC 300 showdown in April.

“I mean, probably because he (Jorge Masvidal) ain’t got no more money,” Ben Askren told Daniel Cormier during a recent interview. “That’s my best guess. People spend it. Mike Tyson spent $400,000,000.”

“Listen, if Dana (White) called me and said, ‘Ben, Jorge Masvidal, UFC 300,’ I don’t give a damn, I’m out of retirement,” Ben Askren continued. “I’ll fight him, I don’t care. I suck at boxing. You guys all saw that. I’m not gonna fight him in boxing. What are you? Dumb?”

Who wins in a future rematch? Ben Askren or Jorge Masvidal?

Tony Ferguson again urged to end UFC run by veteran star: ‘He’s 0-7, you need to be done, buddy’

Former interim lightweight champion, Tony Ferguson has once again been urged to call time on his storied mixed martial…

Former interim lightweight champion, Tony Ferguson has once again been urged to call time on his storied mixed martial arts career, this time by UFC alum, Ben Askren – who pointed out an apparent lack of ability from Paddy Pimblett, whom the former lost to at UFC 296 last weekend.

Ferguson, a former interim lightweight champion and Ultimate Fighter victor under the banner of the Dana White-led promotion, returned to the Octagon at UFC 296 earlier this month, suffering a one-sided unanimous decision to the returning, Pimblett, in what came as the former’s seventh consecutive defeat.

Without a victory since a second round doctor’s stoppage TKO win over Donald Cerrone back in 2019, Ferguson, who once held a division-best 12-fight unbeaten winning streak, now joins former two-weight champion, B.J. Penn on a record-setting seven-fight losing skid off the back of last weekend’s judging loss.

Tony Ferguson urged to retire by Ben Askren

And urged by both UFC CEO, White, and former two-division champion, Daniel Cormier to call time on his fighting career, Ferguson – who knocked back encouragement to stop fighting, has now been urged to do so by former ONE Championship and Bellator MMA gold holder, Askren.

“He (Tony Ferguson) says he wants to keep fighting,” Ben Askren told Middleeasy. “SoIs it a monetary thing where he needs to keep fighting for money? I don’t know, but Paddy (Pimblett) does not seem to be that good. He really doesn’t and Tony, he just couldn’t get off his back. I don’t know what his plan was. He is a wrestler. He grew up wrestling.”

“His trajectory is so insane,” Askren continued. “He was like, 13-0, or whatever the hell he was afor a while, and now he’s 0-7. It’s like, yeah, you need to be done, buddy.”

Do you think Tony Ferguson will finally call time on his UFC career?