Outspoken UFC welterweight Ben Askren has offered his prediction for the upcoming UFC 244 main event between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz for the “BMF” championship.
Who can forget Jorge Masvidal’s 5-second knockout of Ben Askren at UFC 239? Well, Ben Askren would soon rather forget it, and he literally has, as he himself has admitted in the past. The knockout was the culmination of a contemptuous fight build-up full of trash talk which did not cease after the fight. But aside from the past history between Masvidal and Askren, the “Funky” one has no issue with being objective enough to make his prediction for the UFC 244 main event (Transcript via Low Kick MMA):
“Oh, the BMF, that’s a one-off,” Askren said in a recent interview with Submission Radio. “They’re gonna do it one time and it’s whatever, it’s gone. You know, handed it one time, it’s kind of cool, now done and gone with. So, I think if Jorge wins, then he gets a title shot, and I would venture to guess that’s who’s gonna win.”
“Although I can’t be entirely certain, that’s where I would probably lean. And if Nate wins, I just have a hard time (giving him a title shot). Could you give him a title shot? Sure, right? But then again, he’s only beaten Anthony and Jorge, and that’s really it in the last, what, he took three years off or something? So that makes him challenging for the title fight. So, I think he could, but you probably would look to put him in a different fight of some kind. And then if Jorge wins, then I believe Jorge goes for a title.”
Ben Askren will be looking to inch his way back into the title picture himself when he takes on Demian Maia this Saturday at UFC Singapore. As for the BMF championship, that bout takes place in less than two weeks at UFC 244 from Madison Square Garden.
Do you agree with Ben Askren’s prediction? Do you believe Jorge Masvidal will defeat Nate Diaz at UFC 244?
