Ben Askren has expressed his willingness to come out of retirement to fight Jorge Masvidal, particularly if the UFC needs a big fight for its upcoming UFC 300 show, despite both men having been retired from the sport and out of the anti-doping testing pool.
Ben Askren’s got his gloves ready for Jorge Masvidal. He’s all set to step out of retirement.
Masvidal, on Monday, declared he’s done with retirement. It’s been eight months since he hung up his gloves. The details of his return are still under wraps. Askren, however, is all game to get back in the ring with him. Especially if UFC 300 needs a big fight.
Askren’s words on Daniel Cormier’s YouTube channel were clear. “Listen, if Dana called me and said, ‘Jorge Masvidal, UFC 300,’ I don’t give a damn – I’m out of retirement,” he said. He’s ready to fight. He doesn’t care. He’d love to.
Askren and Masvidal have history. Askren was on the receiving end of Masvidal’s famous flying-knee knockout at UFC 239. It was a pivotal moment in Masvidal’s rise to fame. They’ve had a heated rivalry since, and Askren’s been hinting he wants another shot at “Gamebred.”
UFC 300 could use some big fights. An Askren-Masvidal rematch might just fit the bill. But it’s not that simple. Both men have retired and are out of the anti-doping testing pool. They’d need exemptions from the promotion to compete at UFC 300. Askren, though, doubts Masvidal would agree to the match.
Askren’s skeptical. “But he’ll never say yes to that, unless he loses some more money or something,” he said. He’d love to fight, but he’s not desperate. If it happens, great. If not, he’s content with his life.
Post their fight, Masvidal bagged the BMF title by defeating Nate Diaz. He challenged for the UFC welterweight title twice and retired in April after losing to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287. He’s been busy with his own fight promotion, Gamebred MMA, since.
Askren, on the other hand, had one more fight, losing to Demian Maia in 2019. He then retired. Despite the long break, he believes he’s fit enough to fight Masvidal on short notice.
“I’m ready,” he said. He’s been wrestling a lot and is in good shape. He’s open to a fight, but he’s not going to push for it.