At UFC 239 in July 2019, Jorge Masvidal famously defeated Ben Askren with a flying knee in under five seconds, breaking the previous mark for the fastest knockout in organisation history. Now that both guys are retired, Masvidal declared he would be willing to challenge Askren in the ring.
And Askren wants to run things back. However, the action won’t be in the boxing ring. So, continue reading to discover what’s brewing between the two retirees.
In an interview, Jorge Masvidal revealed that he had heard about Ben Askren’s willingness to come out of retirement to face him again. Masvidal expressed that Askren preferred an MMA rematch, but for his safety, Masvidal was open to a boxing match to avoid any illegal knee strikes. He confidently stated that he could defeat Askren with both hands tied behind his back, mocking Askren’s boxing skills.
Masvidal clarified that he would only grant Askren a rematch in boxing, believing it would attract much attention since there wouldn’t be any face-kneeing involved. He seemed amused at the idea of Askren potentially getting what he wanted this time around.
However, Masvidal didn’t hold back in his criticism, using strong language to dismiss Askren’s challenge. Despite this, Askren was insistent on an MMA rematch and had approached Dana White to try and arrange it.
Masvidal, who rose to fame after his spectacular knockout victory over Askren in their previous encounter, was not interested in repeating the same scenario and seemed set on a boxing challenge.
Masvidal’s career soared to superstardom after the remarkable finish in their previous fight, and Askren has long desired a chance to settle the score. Masvidal has now agreed to a rematch, but he insists on a boxing match, a proposition that Askren does not favour.
In April 2021, Askren entered professional boxing with a high-profile match against the YouTuber Jake Paul. Unfortunately for Askren, the bout ended in disappointment as he suffered a knockout at the hands of Paul in just under two minutes.
Both fighters have different preferences regarding the nature of their rematch, with Masvidal leaning towards boxing and Askren adamant about an MMA showdown. This desire clash adds another layer of anticipation to the potential showdown between the two seasoned fighters.
Ben Askren, a decorated former titleholder at 170 pounds in both Bellator and ONE Championship, has earned a reputation as one of the most skilled wrestling specialists in the history of MMA. However, his stand-up striking abilities have never been his strong suit, and this was evident during his stint in the UFC in 2019, where he managed a record of 1 win and 2 losses.
So, what are your predictions? Will the two fighters meet in the octagon or the boxing ring? Don’t forget to share in the comments!
