Ben Askren Calls Dustin Poirier “Dumb” to Miss Out on Big Opportunity

Former UFC Welterweight Ben Askren took to Twitter and shared his views on the breaking news that captured fan attention. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported that top lightweight Dustin Poirier would not be competing against Tony Ferguson at UFC 254. The two were targeted to be the co-main event feature on the card headlined by Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje.

“The Diamond” had expressed a desire to compete; however, he was clear that he was looking to be well compensated. Moreover, Tony Ferguson had reportedly provided verbal agreement for the fight, and it seemed as though it would materialize. Chiefly, it seems like the UFC could not satisfy the terms laid out by the former interim champion, Dustin Poirier.

Ben Askren trashes Dustin Poirier

The former Olympian in Askren is one of the most active fighters on social media, despite retiring from the sport. He shared his views on the news that Poirier had decided against making the trip to “Fight Island”. Ben Askren pulled no punches in expressing his disappointment with the cancelation.

Several MMA fans share a similar viewpoint to that of Ben, especially considering the high stakes nature of the fight. A win over Tony Ferguson would guarantee a title shot in the 155 lb division. Also, Poirier has scalped wins over the former champion in his impressive 5-1 run that led to a title shot.

Tony Ferguson would also have been keen to scrap against Poirier, considering his own ranking. “El Cucuy” suffered his first loss since late 2012 when he was TKO’ed on the feet against Justin Gaethje. Moreover, the loss snapped a 12-fight winning streak and sent Ferguson back to the drawing board.

The UFC will be on the lookout for an appropriate matchup to bolster an already impressive fight card. Khabib Nurmagomedov has elevated himself to the mainstream stardom and drawn in a significant amount of eyeballs. Furthermore, he has teased that it may be one of the last times he fights professionally. Fight fans will look to follow “The Eagle’s” final journey as he looks to cement his legacy.