'Jorge won no rounds' - Ben Askren reveals why he isn't a fan of Jorge Masvidal's title rematch against Kamaru Usman
Ben Askren has revealed that he isn't a fan of the UFC re-booking a fight between Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal. The former UFC fighter pointed out that Masvidal lost the first fight 50-43 and won zero rounds against Usman back at UFC 251.
During an interview with Helen Yee, Ben Askren also admitted that he felt Colby Covington should've gotten a rematch against Usman, instead of 'Gamebred'. Askren added that Covington put up an incredible fight against the reigning UFC welterweight champion and was 2-2 on the scorecards heading into the final round.
"I didn't like that booking actually. I said this also, I got a lot of pushback and I was really surprised, to me or to the scorecards, that was a 50-43 fight, right? Jorge won no rounds, he won zero, and he lost 10-8 of two of them. And, you had Colby vs. Usman, it was two-to-two going into the fifth round, Colby ended up getting knocked out but it was really competitive."
Ben Askren also thinks that Covington beating Tyron Woodley after his loss to Usman could've played a role in the matchmaking. However, for someone who isn't the biggest fan of 'Chaos', even Askren thinks that a rematch between Covington and Usman would've made more sense at this stage.
"Colby has won a fight since then, Jorge has not right? So it's like, obviously there could be some stuff behind the scenes that I'm not seeing because that's not my job, that is preventing Colby from getting another shot and well nobody likes Colby. But even me who doesn't like him thinks that probably would've made a lot more sense."
Ben Askren left a lasting impression in the UFC's welterweight division
Ben Askren competed in the UFC on just three different occasions. His debut fight against former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler resulted in a controversial win for 'Funky'.
However, it was Askren's second fight in the UFC that turned the tables completely – he was knocked out by Jorge Masvidal inside 5 seconds. The former Bellator welterweight champion's final fight was a loss to Demian Maia.