Given their longstanding Twitter beef, it looks like Ben Askren and Dillon Danis are finally open to competing against each other. The pair have gone at each other’s throats for a while now, most recently engaging in a back-and-forth last week. However, for the first time, Askren has finally become receptive to the idea of […]
Given their longstanding Twitter beef, it looks like Ben Askren and Dillon Danis are finally open to competing against each other.
The pair have gone at each other’s throats for a while now, most recently engaging in a back-and-forth last week. However, for the first time, Askren has finally become receptive to the idea of facing Danis, even if it’s in a grappling match.
“At this point it’s my MMA career,” Askren said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show this week about his main focus (via BJ Penn). “When I am done with that if I chose to take part in a grappling contest it would be Dillion Danis.
“Obviously, he challenged me to a grappling match. After my MMA career, that’s something I would definitely do.”
Danis would respond while Askren was on the air with Helwani:
“Biggest grappling match in the history of the sport Dillon Danis vs @Benaskren let’s f*cking do it!” he tweeted.
biggest grappling match in the history of the sport Dillon Danis vs @Benaskren let’s fucking do it!
However, like Askren said, it’s unlikely to happen until after his mixed martial arts career is over. That’s because Danis is currently in Bellator and a cross-promotional bout with the UFC looks unlikely.
Things could change if Danis were to jump ship to the UFC later on, however.
Ben Askren has been told that both Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington made the same mistake during UFC 244 negotiations. The UFC initially wanted a welterweight title bout between champion Usman and Covington to headline their Nov. 2 pay-per-view. Talks …
Ben Askren has been told that both Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington made the same mistake during UFC 244 negotiations. The UFC initially wanted a welterweight title bout between champion Usman and Covington to headline their Nov. 2 pay-per-view. Talks stalled and as a result, the UFC attempted to book Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal. Once […]
Ben Askren is tired of Conor McGregor’s jaw jacking on social media. McGregor hasn’t been seen in action since Oct. 2018 when he was submitted by Khabib Nurmagomedov. That is of course if you’re not counting his incident with a bar pa…
Ben Askren is tired of Conor McGregor’s jaw jacking on social media. McGregor hasn’t been seen in action since Oct. 2018 when he was submitted by Khabib Nurmagomedov. That is of course if you’re not counting his incident with a bar patron back in April. TMZ released footage showing McGregor punching a man inside The […]
Ben Askren is one of the more active members of the mixed martial arts (MMA) community on social media. He recently sparked a brief back-and-forth with former UFC dual-weight champion Conor McGregor. McGregor is teasing a return to Octagon action very soon. However, speaking on “The Ariel Helwani MMA Show” today (Mon. September 16, 2019), […]
“That’s what I do on social media, I poke people,” Askren said. “It’s one of those nonsense – I think he probably spends a large portion of his day drinking, and so, a lot of his responses are kind of shenanigans, nonsensical, they don’t make a whole lot of sense. It was just like, I was getting annoyed – and listen, people in my mentions, they think I don’t get to have an opinion because I’m a fighter or something.
“I get to have an opinion, I do have an opinion, my opinion is heard by a lot of people because I have a large Twitter following. And so, I enjoy the sport of mixed martial arts, not only as a coach, not only as an athlete, but I enjoy watching it, following it, and doing that kind of stuff. So I was getting annoyed by the fact that Conor keeps kind of saying, “Oh, I won’t fight you,” and then Dustin – the Dustin fight, that’s probably a great fight for him. Dustin has a lot of hype, he just came off a world title shot.
“If there’s a fight that’s going to get Conor back in it, boom, that’s it. I don’t think they’re gonna make Khabib-Conor. I just don’t think it’s gonna happen. Nate Diaz is tied up. So who are Conor’s other options? Obviously Justin Gaethje, but if you’re looking at Conor – sh*t I’d rather fight Dustin Poirier before I fight Justin Gaethje if you’re Conor.”
Askren says McGregor can Tweet about whatever he wants, just not about fighting or saying he’s too good to fight a certain fighter, without having competed in a lengthy amount of time.
“I get to have an opinion. I like MMA, if I want to have an opinion, I get to have an opinion, and my opinion is, a Dustin Poirier fight is a good option for Conor, Conor should shut up, stop trying to act too good for it – take the fight, take a fight, take any fight, we don’t care,” Askren said.
“We just want to hear you shut up on social media and actually take a fight. I mean, give me a damn break. It’s been a year? More than a year? Before that, another year. It’s like, come on man. Get in there and shut up. No more Tweets lets fight already. Conor can Tweet. He just can’t Tweet about fighting anyone without fighting, or saying he’s too good for fighting anyone without hopping in there. So he can Tweet about whatever he wants. Just not about saying, “I’m tough I’m gonna fight,” unless you actually fight.”
Askren is currently slated to take on Demian Maia in Singapore on October 26. After suffering the fastest knockout in UFC history – a five-second flying knee knockout to Jorge Masvidal – and the first defeat of his MMA career, Askren hopes to bounce back with a win over Maia. It’ll be very much a grappling festivity, as Maia is one of the best jiu-jitsu practitioners MMA has ever seen.
As for McGregor, it remains unknown what is next for the Irishman, with rumblings of a fight with Dustin Poirier or Justin Gaethje making the rounds.
What do you think about Askren’s comments towards McGregor?
On Wednesday, Conor McGregor and Ben Askren exchanged some words with each other on social media. Askren went off on McGregor on Tuesday for asking for a rematch with lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. He also explained why him wanting a rematch with Jorge Masvidal is different to McGregor wanting a rematch. Askren followed it up […]
On Wednesday, Conor McGregor and Ben Askren exchanged some words with each other on social media.
Askren went off on McGregor on Tuesday for asking for a rematch with lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. He also explained why him wanting a rematch with Jorge Masvidal is different to McGregor wanting a rematch.
You don’t want to get smashed by Khabib again. Take the Dustin fight and be happy. And be nicer to old people. https://t.co/TS4DYbg2X9
I got hit by 1 errant shot. Lesson learned and won’t happen again! @TheNotoriousMMA got his ass beat for 18 minutes by Khabib and that will happen damn near every time.
Askren followed it up with some harsh words on the Irishman as a competitor:
Let’s be serious @TheNotoriousMMA made too much money to ever have the desire to train at world champ level. He ain’t getting younger those times are gone. Only “glory days” and hot air now
“Some of us do real work for a living,” Askren wrote. “Not parading around like a drunk asshole punching old people and stomping on phones like a pouty child. Looking forward to an incoherent response.”
Some of us do real work for a living. Not parading around like a drunk asshole punching old people and stomping on phones like a pouty child. Looking forward to an incoherent response https://t.co/SuWEiDVVfB
As of now, McGregor is yet to respond but it’s certainly hard to see him doing so with Askren bringing up incidents from the past like that.
It’s also hard to see him getting his rematch with Nurmagomedov, especially with many in the combat sports world, including UFC president Dana White, stating that Tony Ferguson is next in line. Maybe his best option is another rematch, but with Dustin Poirier.
Do you think we’ll ever get the old motivated McGregor back?
Conor McGregor has a light response for Ben Askren following some “Funky” comments. McGregor hasn’t competed since Oct. 2018. Despite this, he has his sights set on a rematch with UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. It isn&#…
Conor McGregor has a light response for Ben Askren following some “Funky” comments. McGregor hasn’t competed since Oct. 2018. Despite this, he has his sights set on a rematch with UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. It isn’t far fetched as UFC president Dana White said McGregor will get the next 155-pound title opportunity if Tony […]
