Former Bellator and ONE welterweight champion Ben Askren has expressed serious interest in an MMA rematch with Jorge Masvidal, rejecting Masvidal’s boxing rematch offer and claiming that Masvidal fears the embarrassment of losing.
Ben Askren, the former Bellator and ONE welterweight champion, has expressed strong feelings about his potential rematch with Jorge Masvidal. Recently on his Funky & The Champ show, he talked openly about the ongoing rivalry with Masvidal. Speaking with co-host Daniel Cormier, Askren retorted on Masvidal’s offer of a boxing repeat match and hinted there might be a reason Masvidal has shown less interest in MMA.
During his present venting on Cormier’s YouTube channel, Askren was quite candid about Masvidal’s reluctance, stating that it isn’t about fear of fighting or pain, but rather his fear of being embarrassed. Askren went on to say he would pull Masvidal’s hair and rub his face in the ground for about 15 minutes, leaving him with some significant mat burns and embarrassment. He also highlighted that men can have many fears, and revealed his own fears of snakes and sharks. He added, however, that Masvidal seems more afraid of losing his image and being embarrassed.
Askren and Masvidal famously fought in 2019 at UFC 239. The contentious match ended with Masvidal defeating Askren in just five seconds with a flying knee, marking the fastest knockout in UFC history and catapulting Masvidal to instant fame. Subsequent to their fight, Askren only competed one more time before retiring, while Masvidal headlined four consecutive UFC pay-per-views and attempted twice for the UFC welterweight title before retiring in April.
Later in the year, Masvidal, 38, challenged Askren to a boxing rematch. He boldly stated that he would beat Askren with both his hands behind his back and verbally taunted Askren, daring him to come out of retirement. Askren responded to Masvidal, saying that he had planned to leave the rivalry alone until Masvidal’s recent remarks. He also revealed that he wasn’t interested in fighting anyone else or in fighting generally. He also used a strategy of dismissing and belittling Masvidal, designed to provoke him into accepting a rematch. Despite being warned by Corner about potential repercussions, Askren remained confident that he could persuade Masvidal to accept the fight.