"Congratulations you made it here" - When Kamaru Usman and "young man" Ben Askren went back and forth in 2019
Back in 2019, long-term rivals Ben Askren and Kamaru Usman went back-and-forth at the UFC 235 press conference.
Usman was seemingly trying to belittle Askren, implying that the MMA fighter finally made it to the big leagues (UFC) after 'Funky' left ONE Championship:
"Young man, congratulations you made it here. You get to be here with all of your favorite fighters, maybe after this we can all sign something for you, so you can take it home to your family, okay?"
Askren seemed unfazed but somewhat impressed by Usman's trash-talk, which was something the now-retired fighter was himself good at dishing out ahead of fights.
Watch the clip here:
Underrated back and forth between Usman and Ben Askren https://t.co/c2m0Z6LEhK
Fast-forward to 2020, Askren called Usman the "worst promoter" in the history of MMA while speaking with Submission Radio.
'Funky' went on to say that before facing Colby Covington, Usman couldn't work out how to get people to like him. Askren stated that all the Nigerian-American fighter had to do in the build-up to the bout was be the good guy.
Watch the full interview below:
The 'beef' between the two fighters has seemingly died down in 2022, with Askren and Usman hardly mentioning each other. This is likely due to 'Funky' retiring from MMA after losing to Demian Maia in 2019.
Ben Askren would cause further damage to his combat sports legacy when facing YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a boxing bout. The 37-year-old lost to Paul after being knocked out in the first round.
Did Ben Askren ever fight Kamaru Usman in MMA?
Despite the hostile exchanges during Ben Askren's short stay in the UFC, Kamaru Usman and 'Funky' never fought under MMA rules in any organization.
Both fighters have a background in wrestling and Askren even called the welterweight champion 'Marty' in reference to an old wrestling coach who couldn't pronounce Usman's name correctly.
When Askren called 'The Nigerian Nightmare' by this name in 2019, Usman didn't take it well and the two faced off backstage before a press conference.
Watch the intense exchange here:
As mentioned, the feud has recently died down given Askren's retirement, and Usman is focusing on new opponents within the UFC. 'Funky' now spends a lot of his time playing disk golf and looking after his home.