Dana White shows disinterest, but Ben Askren remains confident of a deal with the UFC

B. Askren (photo) is undefeated in MMA. Photo: Bellator/Disclosure

After the announcement of Ben Askren's departure from Bellator, it was expected that the now former middleweight champion's natural path would be the UFC. However, the words of Ultimate President Dana White upon learning that the athlete was free to negotiate with his organization were not encouraging for Askren's intentions.

“It doesn't change anything. We are not interested. I'm sure WSOF will pick him up. Bellator doesn't want him. He's their champion, and they don't want him. What does that mean?” said White, in an interview with the “MMA Junkie” website. “He has some work to do. He can fight in another organization and work his way here someday.”

Despite this, Askren remains confident in making a deal with the biggest MMA organization on the planet. “Dana is a businessman, so I'm sure he sees the value I can bring to the organization. He hasn't brought a high-level fighter to the welterweight division in a while. So I think this would bring new and exciting fights to the division,” said the athlete.

At 29 years old, Ben Askren has a record of 12 wins and no losses. The American debuted in Bellator in 2010 and in less than six months he won the welterweight title. In the organization, there were nine victories for Askren, including four title defenses – the most recent of which against Andrei Koreshkov, in July.

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