B. Askren (left) and K. Nurmagomedov (right) remain undefeated in MMA. Photo: Montage SL/MMA Press
Ben Askren has not yet signed the exchange agreement between One Championship and the UFC, but he is already causing a stir in the welterweight division. Since the news about the trade of fighters between the franchises was released, 'Funky' has been indicating possible rivals in the new home. The list includes: Georges St-Pierre, Darren till, Covington Covington, Nate and Nick Diaz between others. In his last attack, the North American challenged Khabib Nurmagomedov for a duel in a new category up to 74,8 kg.
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According to Askren, the confrontation should prove who is the best grappler on the planet in mixed martial arts. “And @TeamKhabib I will meet you at 165 to determine the best MMA grappler on planet Earth! You just need to say the time and send the location”, posted Ben on his Twitter.
Franchise president Dana White denied the creation of the 165-pound division on many occasions and also refused to put the belt up for grabs in the fight between Nate diaz e Dustin poirier at UFC 230. Even so, Askren declared that the organization will create the new category after his arrival. He even compared his debut to that of Ronda Rousey which forced the creation of the women's league.
“165 will be a division. @ufc just needs a star to start it, like Rousey for women's 135. Well they have a star, take that s*** to the bank,” Askren wrote.
Khabib Nurmagomedov comes from victory over Conor McGregor at UFC 229. He maintains his unbeaten record in 27 fights. Eleven triumphs occurred after his debut with the North American franchise.
Ben Askren remains undefeated in MMA after 18 clashes. 'Funky' announced his retirement from the sport following One Championship – Immortal Pursuit. In November 2017, the fighter knocked out Shinya Aoki in the first round.
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