A controversy has erupted in the MMA community after Ben Askren’s associate publicly accused the Tate brothers of exploiting the Askren’s medical emergency for publicity purposes.
The dispute centers around recent events involving Askren, who underwent a double lung transplant which his insurance company refused to cover. The 40-year-old former UFC star had family crowd funding to help cover the costs. His wife Amy was updating supporters through social media about his condition and requesting prayers for his recovery.
When news of Askren’s critical health situation became public, Andrew and Tristan Tate appeared to offer assistance through social media, posting on X: “Who knows @Benaskren personally and has contact with his family?”
UFC analyst and former MMA star Chael Sonnen initially responded positively to the gesture, writing “Message sent. Very cool, fellas” after claiming to have shared contact information for Askren’s family with the brothers.
However, the situation took a dramatic turn when an individual identifying as FightOracle on social media began leveling serious accusations against the Tate brothers. In a series of posts, the account claimed that despite Sonnen’s facilitation of contact, no meaningful assistance materialized.
“He did. And nothing. They’re scammers,” FightOracle posted, directly contradicting the brothers’ apparent offer of help.
The criticism escalated with additional posts stating: “Hold Tate brothers accountable. All talk. No action. Traffickers scamming as per usual.”
Other social media users joined the criticism, with one commenting that the brothers’ offer was “Faker than Andrew’s kickboxing credentials. Calling him a can crusher is an insult to cans. But we all knew that already.”
FightOracle’s accusations have sparked debate about accountability and the authenticity of public gestures during personal crises. However, the situation became more complex when the account was accused of blocking an MMA journalist who had previously criticized their past support of the Tate brothers despite their legal issues.
The situation remains unresolved, with no official response from the Tate brothers regarding the allegations that their offer of assistance was merely for show rather than substantive help during a medical crisis.
