Dear Dana,
You can call him a dick and you can call him boring.
When it comes down to it though, Ben Askren is the most popular welterweight fighter outside of the UFC, and most importantly, the best fighter.
For me the UFC has always been the home of the best fighters. Since the purchase of Strikeforce and the signing of Hector Lombard and Eddie Alvarez, the UFC has had a hold of every top fighter in MMA. Every top fighter, besides Ben Askren.
So Dana, I’m asking you to do the fans, and the UFC a favour.
Give Ben Askren a chance.
Just give him one fight in the UFC. You could put him against one of the best welterweights in the world, or put him against a prelim fighter.
We just need the tiniest indicator that Askren has what it takes to compete in the UFC.
The problem now is that Askren has a long-term contract with ONE FC, meaning he won’t be in the UFC for possibly another two years. When that contract does finish up, you need to snatch him up, before he gets signed to another long term deal.
Making Headlines
Go to any MMA website and scroll through their top stories. You’ll see a Chael Sonnen story, maybe something about Silva vs. Arlovski, Overeem’s future and weight, and a nice piece on woman’s MMA. Right within the mix though, there are the stories about Ben Askren.
What did he say about the UFC this week? What UFC welterweight is he unimpressed by? Who is he calling out on Twitter?
Some would argue that he has a boring style of fighting, but when it comes to generating stories, he’s as good as gold.
The Tito Effect
Askren doesn’t like you Mr. White. He has called the UFC a lot of names and hasn’t been afraid to throw your name around in a bad way. Now, imagine he continued to say these same things, while apart of the UFC.
Sounds familiar? It wasn’t too long ago that Tito Ortiz was MMA’s bad guy, talking down to the boss, and getting the fans to choose sides. It causes tension between the fighter and promoter, but has been proven as a successful formula to draw viewers.
UFC Caliber
Even though the two points above make sense, they shouldn’t even be necessary. The UFC’s welterweight division is the largest in the company. You would think that in a division full of prospects that there would be room for a Ben Askren.
The welterweight division, according to UFC.com, has over 70 welterweights. There are welterweights who have fewer than 10 wins, are on losing streaks, or are just there because of their appeal to foreign markets.
Askren is a perfect 14-0, has held both the ONE FC and Bellator Welterweight Championships and is a two-time Division I National Champion and four-time All-American, among other accomplishments.
If I said to you that an undefeated, two-time MMA Welterweight Champion and former Division I Champion was all the talk of the MMA world but wasn’t signed by the UFC yet, I’d imagine you’d fire the guy in charge of scouting fighters.
But since that person’s name is Ben Askren, it’s no big deal to pass on him.
I completely understand that people believe that Akren’s style of fighting is boring, but give the man some credit for finishing his last four opponents. And in what sport does a player not get to play on the big stage just because his style isn’t exciting?
Unfortunately, MMA seems to be a contender for that title, and the UFC is at fault for that.
So please Dana, not for the good of Askren, but for most importantly the integrity of the sport, sign Ben Askren. The UFC should not be the home of the most entertaining fighters, but a place where the best in the world fight.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter –@MikeHutchLWOS. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
For the latest in sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
Main Photo:
