During a recent appearance on Daniel Cormier’s show, wrestling and MMA icon Ben Askren shared a surprising update about his relationship with former rival Jorge Masvidal. He revealed that Masvidal had personally reached out and even visited him.
According to Askren, the meeting was initiated by Masvidal with a clear and unexpected intention.
“He started saying that he wanted to meet me and have dinner with me and pray with me and all that stuff,” Askren said. “And I said, ‘Hey, man. I’m open to it, of course.’”
The timing of the visit came together during a busy weekend, but Askren said he was more than willing to make it work. “Hey man, you know, if you’re really serious, I’d love to have you up here,” he recalled telling Masvidal. “I don’t think it’s healthy to hold grudges.”
That same weekend, Askren was baptized and he had Masvidal by his side. It marked a significant step in his faith journey that began after a life-threatening health scare last year.
During the conversation with Cormier, Askren admitted there was never any real personal animosity on his end, even during the height of their rivalry.
“I told him straight up, I said, ‘Listen, I actually enjoyed watching you compete. I had nothing against you, but I was going to get left without a dance partner in the UFC, and that’s the worst place you want to be.’”
He went on to explain the circumstances that led him to repeatedly call out Masvidal at the time. With key matchups already booked, Askren found himself without an opponent.
He stated: “Marty and Colby were going to compete. I wasn’t gonna fight Tyron because he’s a really close friend. Wonderboy got knocked out by Anthony. I just competed against Robbie.”
Askren continued: “I kind of went like, ‘Hey, I had no one.’ So I just kept picking on you until you got so mad you said yes. Otherwise, I was going to sit on the bench for six to nine months.”
Despite the heated buildup to their matchup, the in-person meeting turned out to be surprisingly warm. “I actually thought he was funny. I kind of liked him and we got along. We actually had a lot in common,” Askren said. “We’re both athletes, and there’s a lot of overlap. He’s got three kids, we talked about that too.”
Askren also noted that several mutual connections had always spoken highly of Masvidal, including Tyron Woodley, Anthony Pettis, and Dean Thomas. “They’ve always said he’s a really good guy,” he added.
