"Huge name, easy win" - Ben Askren explains why Dustin Poirier is a great matchup for Colby Covington
While talking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Ben Askren boldly claimed that Colby Covington's callout of Dustin Poirier was the perfect choice by the lifelong wrestler.
'Chaos' is a two-time welterweight title contender who is no stranger to controversy. Despite his dishonorable gimmick, the 34-year-old is an outstanding wrestler with unrivaled cardio which he manages to use to overwhelm opponents inside the octagon.
During his recent interview, Askren admitted that calling out a huge name such as Dustin Poirier was a smart decision by the 170lb welterweight, especially if he believes it to be an easy win for him. Askren also said:
"Great call out... Obviously, they've been in the gym, he probably knows he's really really likely to win it. Poirier is probably a top ten name in the UFC at this point given the fact that he's beaten McGregor twice. Huge name, easy win. You can't ask for anything better than that."
When Helwani proposed that Covington fight the winner of Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns, Askren retorted by saying:
"Big attention, easy win. That's what you want. Neither one of those guys [Chimaev and Burns] are as popular as Poirier... But it's also really risky [to call out Chimaev]... If he beats Burns, he's also really good too, you know... I think Covington went the right way with that one."
The former ONE and Bellator welterweight champion retired from the sport after suffering back-to-back losses to Jorge Masvidal and Demian Maia. He later crossed over to the boxing ring to face Jake Paul, a fight in which he came up short.
Check out Ben Askren, Michael Bisping, and Robert Whittaker on the latest episode of The MMA Hour below:
Who's next for Colby Covington?
Following his win over friend-turned-rival Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272 last weekend, Colby Covington has a dilemma about who to fight next.
The American Top Team wrestler is undoubtedly the second-best welterweight in the organization and has proved it on numerous occasions. Despite coming up short for a second time against Kamaru Usman for the welterweight strap, he gave the champion the toughest test of his title reign so far.
While he cannot fight for a UFC title at this stage, a convincing win in his next matchup could earn him that privilege. The next logical challenger for Colby Covington would either be his preferred opponent, Dustin Poirier, or the winner of the Gilbert Burns and Khamzat Chimaev fight next month.