Ben Askren will only return from retirement for the rematch with longtime foe Jorge Masvidal in the UFC.
The legendary wrestler was 19-0 at the time he faced Masvidal in a battle that was meant to prepare him for a crack at the welterweight world championship in July 2019. He entered the match as the favorite because of his outstanding amateur wrestling record and past wins against notable figures in the sport. However, he was eliminated by a humiliating flying knee KO in only six seconds.
A sizable segment of the MMA community formerly believed Askren to be the finest welterweight in the world, especially before his clash with Masvidal. Sadly, the defeat lost him a career-worth of momentum, and after one more unsuccessful attempt against Demian Maia, he decided to give up on sports and undergo hip replacement surgery.
However, even after being knocked out, Ben Askren never misses a chance to call out his old rival. Askren said on the MMA Hour,
“Journeyman bum Masvidal became Jorge Masvidal became one of the biggest stars in the game. You’re welcome Jorge.”
Then Helwani inquired as to whether he thought Masvidal respected him.
“If he doesn’t he’s an ungrateful son of a b*tch, how about that? He needs to send me a Christmas card for the next twenty years. If he doesn’t he’s ungrateful. He probably doesn’t want to give me credit for anything, so suck it Jorge.”