Ben Askren is an accomplished MMA fighter by all means. The former Olympic wrestler’s MMA career stats read 19-2-0. He also notched 6 submissions and 6 knock-outs to reach these 19 wins. The American was also the Bellator and ONE welterweight champion. A simple fact that speaks volumes about his fighting prowess is that he remained undefeated for more than a decade. 

Ben ‘Funky’ Askren, however, was eyeing a UFC debut in 2013. He was on a 12-0 record and had defended his welterweight title four times in the Bellator. Ben expected to move to UFC after ending his contract with Bellator. On 31st July 2013, Ben Askren defeated Andrey Koreshkov with a TKO. He wanted to move on and join the UFC and apparently was in talks with the UFC.

UFC Fans Took to Twitter to Offer Ben Askren a Lesson in Economics Following His Comments About “Best Performing Currency”

Why he didn’t join the UFC, then, and joined only in 2019, has now been revealed in his book ‘Funky: My defiant path through the wild world of combat sports’. Askren said, “I look back on that period like, how did I not get an offer?” According to Askren, The UFC had shown some level of interest in signing him but wanted Askren to do away with his matching clause with Bellator so they don’t have to negotiate with that in mind.

Ben Askren gets hopes of UFC

Ben Askren fulfilled the criteria and sent away the paperwork in September 2013 during the UFC fight week 165. He was expecting a call soon, but things didn’t pan out the way he expected them to.

“That afternoon, Dana’s in a scrum and he says, ‘We have no interest in Ben Askren,‘” Askren recalled. “And it was like, wait, what just happened? What the f*ck?” Ben Askren said, He even called his manager as he wanted to fly down to Las Vegas to meet the UFC officials. The meeting did happen eventually, but without Dana White.

Trending

Desperate to Escape Dubai, Floyd Mayweather Jr. Gets Unexpected Offer for Help After Gervonta Davis’ Claims on Hostage Situation

April 30, 2024 07:23 PM EDT

How Did Francis Ngannou’s Son Die? All We Know So Far About 15-Month-Old Kobe’s Death

April 30, 2024 12:32 PM EDT

3 Words Conor McGregor Has for Lorenzo Fertitta’s $45,000 Gift After Dana White Shout-Out and Iconic Moments for UFC

May 01, 2024 02:20 PM EDT

Threatened for Half Of His Wealth by Ex-Girlfriend, Israel Adesanya Refuses to Hold Back in “Future Wife” Confession

April 24, 2024 03:00 PM EDT

UFC Rankings: Stipe Miocic Slips Further Away From Jon Jones, Charles Oliveira Receives Disappointing News in HW and P4P Update Respectively

April 30, 2024 02:40 PM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest UFC stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

The “Obscure offer”

Ben Askren did finally get an offer but an “obscure” one, he says. Askren was asked to have one fight with the world series of fighting before he could come to the UFC. In Ben Askren’s words, the clause looked “dumb” but he anyway agreed to it. He said, “But whatever, you know? I’m in.” Unfortunately, Askren’s manager later informed him that the UFC had pulled back their offer.

Watch This Story: Joe Rogan on the Trade Deal Between Ben Askren and Demetrious Johnson

‘Funky’ later featured in the UFC in 2019. His journey, however, wasn’t glorious as he lost to Jorge Masvidal and Demian Maia. He could record only one controversial win over Robbie Lawler. Fans may what may have happened to the welterweight division dynamics if ‘Funky’ joined in 2013. For Askren, however, UFC became the one that got away.