Askren may finally sign with UFC

[Good Grappler]

Ben just tweeted there’s a “98%” chance of it happening. Ariel Helwani also just tweeted that he’s heard promising stuff about Ben signing.

Sounds like this may actually be happening this time. I’d love to see how he does against the fighters on the UFC roster. We already know he can compete with world class competition, based on his dominations of Lima and Koreshkov. I think he can beat a lot of fighters in the top 10.

Still though, I hope he gets at least one warm up fight. I have trouble seeing him beat 3 guys in particular: Woodley, Maia and Stephen Thompson. All for different reasons, but if I were Ben’s manager I’d avoid those matchups.

[MacGowan]

Re: Askren may finally sign with UFC

Very interesting 🤔

[WarMMA]

Re: Askren may finally sign with UFC

I hope it does happen. Really been wanting to see this guy in the UFC for a while. As far as the matchups, those three are tough for different reason. Maia being the easiest. I say don't throw yourself into the fire right away though. Have a tune up fight first like Gokhan Saki, cuz the wolves just may tear you up.

[MacGowan]

Re: Askren may finally sign with UFC

Saki is LHW. Yeah, will be interesting to see how the UFC treats him, my initial thoughts are they'll throw him to the wolves.

[Dave_S]

Re: Askren may finally sign with UFC

Maia vs Askren always sounded kind of neat to me.

[WarMMA]

Re: Askren may finally sign with UFC

Maia vs Askren always sounded kind of neat to me.

Yh but we all know how that story will play out. Unless Maia can get him down, sprawl and brawl tactics by Askren to a decision win.

[Dave_S]

Re: Askren may finally sign with UFC

Yh but we all know how that story will play out. Unless Maia can get him down, sprawl and brawl tactics by Askren to a decision win.

I figured Askren would go for takedowns himself.

[WarMMA]

Re: Askren may finally sign with UFC

I figured Askren would go for takedowns himself.

Maybe to score from time to time, but doubt he'd hang around on the ground long with Maia. If he does its a much more entertaining fight though.

[Dave_S]

Re: Askren may finally sign with UFC

Maybe to score from time to time, but doubt he'd hang around on the ground long with Maia. If he does its a much more entertaining fight though.

That's the only way I would care to see it. I don't really care to watch Askren try and strike.

[Pappy Knuckles]

Re: Askren may finally sign with UFC

I wonder what's changed for this to finally be a possibility? Dana should've signed the dude years ago.

[Dave_S]

Re: Askren may finally sign with UFC

I wonder what's changed for this to finally be a possibility? Dana should've signed the dude years ago.

He did apologize to Dana while he was signed with One.

[Good Grappler]

Re: Askren may finally sign with UFC

Yh but we all know how that story will play out. Unless Maia can get him down, sprawl and brawl tactics by Askren to a decision win.

Ahh I don’t know about that. Ben is the last guy who’s still at the top level of MMA, who is truly one dimensional. He may land a few punches while his opponent is worried about the takedown, but don’t be mistaken. He has no striking. He doesn’t even have good ground and pound. All he has is world class wrestling, and he’s adamant that it’s all he needs. Every fight is the same, he comes straight at his opponent and attempts to take them down over and over again until he gets them down. Then he holds them down.

Ben Askren has stated that he believes wrestling is a trump card in MMA, and that unless someone has elite wrestling, he can beat them. So I don’t think we’ll ever see Ben Sprawl and Brawl. He’s either gonna wrestle, or die trying.

This is why I say Demian Maia, Woodley and Thompson are his worst matchups, and all for different reasons. Ben will insist on the takedown no matter what... and against Maia, I think he gets submitted. Against Thompson, I think he struggles to cut off the cage and get a hold of Thompson, and gets lit up. And against Woodley, he may not get the TD at all.

[Good Grappler]

Re: Askren may finally sign with UFC

We need to see Ben in the UFC though. Normally you’d never expect a guy with ZERO standup and ZERO ground and pound, who openly brags that all he needs is American wrestling, to be at the top levels of modern MMA. But then you see him make it work on Douglas Lima and Andrey Koreshkov. Then you see him rolling with larger guys like Tim Kennedy and Alan Belcher and doing great.

Then you hear elite fighters at Roufusport speak wonders about this guy’s wrestling. He’s undefeated. And he brings a fresh approach to the wrestling style, the way he brags that he’ll hold you on the ground and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. The way he trolls opponents mid fight because he’s dominating them, but doesn’t know how to throw ground a pound.

[WarMMA]

Re: Askren may finally sign with UFC

Ahh I don’t know about that. Ben is the last guy who’s still at the top level of MMA, who is truly one dimensional. He may land a few punches while his opponent is worried about the takedown, but don’t be mistaken. He has no striking. He doesn’t even have good ground and pound. All he has is world class wrestling, and he’s adamant that it’s all he needs. Every fight is the same, he comes straight at his opponent and attempts to take them down over and over again until he gets them down. Then he holds them down.

Ben Askren has stated that he believes wrestling is a trump card in MMA, and that unless someone has elite wrestling, he can beat them. So I don’t think we’ll ever see Ben Sprawl and Brawl. He’s either gonna wrestle, or die trying.

This is why I say Demian Maia, Woodley and Thompson are his worst matchups, and all for different reasons. Ben will insist on the takedown no matter what... and against Maia, I think he gets submitted. Against Thompson, I think he struggles to cut off the cage and get a hold of Thompson, and gets lit up. And against Woodley, he may not get the TD at all.

Well I was speaking in terms of him being smart and not taking chances, but if he does insist on wrestling in a fight with Maia, that would be much more entertaining. I think Maia finds a way to his back and he gets submitted also though.

[MacGowan]

Re: Askren may finally sign with UFC

The man has 8 first round finishes. he does a lot more than just wrestle. poor Aoki's head...