"It would be a pleasure to rub his face in the mat" - Ben Askren accepts Jorge Masvidal's challenge
During a recent episode of Impaulsive with Logan Paul, Jorge Masvidal stated his interest in a pure wrestling match against Ben Askeren. The former NCAA Division I wrestler has officially accepted the challenge.
Although he is arguably best known for being on the wrong end of the fastest knockout in UFC history, 'Funky' is an extremely established grappler with over 20 years of experience. The former Olympian built his mixed martial arts career off his dominant wrestling style, earning him two prestigious titles in the process.
In an interview with Logan Paul, Jorge Masvidal seemed open to a potential wrestling match. Ben Askren has now publicly embraced the opportunity to exact revenge on his former division rival. On Twitter, Askren wrote:
"Send date and location. It would be a pleasure to rub his face in the mat."
🙄🙄🙄. Send date and location. It would be a pleasure to rub his face in the mat. twitter.com/thejohnkimshow…
Prior to his move to the UFC and subsequent retirement from the sport, the former Bellator and ONE welterweight champion was considered one of the best 170-lbers in the world.
In a historic moment for MMA, Ben Askren was traded for Demetrious Johnson and found himself in the biggest promotion in the sport. Despite fighting through some adversity during his debut, the American overcame the challenge of Robbie Lawler, setting up a fight between himself and Jorge Masvidal.
'Gamebred' made short work of 'Funky' with a flying knee knockout just five seconds into the first round. A submission loss to Demian Maia followed, ending Askren's career in mixed martial arts.
What's next for Jorge Masvidal?
Jorge Masvidal is enduring a rough patch in his career and finds himself falling further down the UFC welterweight rankings. So, what's next for the fan-favorite brawler?
With a title shot way out of reach for the 37-year-old, he must fight his way back up a tough 170-pound division. A rematch with Stephen Thompson is always there, but beating somebody on a two-fight losing streak would likely not do too much for him.
An unlikely but highly-entertaining matchup for the American Top Team representative would see him stand across the octagon from Gilbert Burns. The heavy-handed Brazilian always brings his best to the cage and would be tested when he meets the high-level striking of Masvidal.
A more likely next opponent for the Miami-native is the always entertaining Vicente Luque. The pair could put on a show that would have a good chance of coming to an end before reaching the judges' scorecards.