Retired welterweight fighter Ben Askren looked back at his loss to Jorge Masvidal. The former Bellator champion claims that he is responsible for “Gamebred’s” success.

Askren shook the mixed martial arts community when he signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. After Askren won his first match via a controversial stoppage, he was matched up against Masvidal. Many thought it would be a wrestling clinic from Askren’s side.

However, Jorge landed a flying knee and ended the match in just five seconds. And Askren believes that it made Jorge famous.

“I put the spotlight on him. His Twitter followers, his Instagram followers [increased], I put the spotlight on him. I played the foil to him. Let him shine. Unfortunately, I thought I was going to crush him,” Askren told Ariel Helwani.

Ben Askren finds Jorge Masvidal authentic and funny

It is not just Askren that boosted Jorge’s career. “Gamebred’s” wins over Darren Till and Nate Diaz also helped him attract a  massive fan following. Apart from that, Jorge’s authenticity and the ability to speak his mind factored in as well. And Askren seems to realize that.

“He says some of these things like the three-piece and a soda that maybe he isn’t intentionally funny but it’s authentic. People love that when he says F***ing super necessary, which I feel like he was a douche for punching me when I was already unconscious. I thought that was unnecessary, but he says it was super necessary.”

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During their fight, Jorge landed two punches after he knocked out Askren. Many critics viewed them as unnecessary. But Jorge felt that they were “super necessary.”

“You know what, it is pretty funny. I was the dude that got punched and that was Jorge being real and that was kind of funny. Even though I thought he was a douchebag for punching me when I was unconscious, it was kind of funny. So, yes, there is a certain authenticity to Jorge that people really, really enjoy.”

Jorge will fight Kamaru Usman for the welterweight strap at UFC 251. The fight will go down at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.