Ben Askren Blasts ‘Terrible’ Nate Diaz’s Welterweight Fight Record
Ben Askren has a date with Jorge Masvidal at UFC 239 this weekend (Sat. July 6, 2019).
The pay-per-view (PPV) goes down from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, that hasn’t stopped Askren from taking a shot at Nate Diaz. Diaz will be fighting Askren’s teammate, Anthony Pettis, at UFC 241 in August.
Speaking to MMA Fighting recently, Askren was asked about possibly meeting Pettis inside the Octagon down the line now that they’re both at 170 pounds. Askren doesn’t seem too worried about the possibility, saying they’ll cross that bridge when they get to it:
“I don’t really see it as a big deal. We’ll figure it when we get there,” Askren said. “I don’t think Anthony’s permanent home is 170. I think obviously him beating “Wonderboy” was fantastic, I loved that.
“When it gets down to it, I know Nate Diaz said he’s not a 155 pounder anymore or whatever bulls—t he says but at the end of the day, Nate Diaz is 1-3 at 170 [pounds]. Nate Diaz is a terrible 170-pounder and that’s all there is to it.
“Anthony versus Nate is going to be fun. I think Anthony is going to kick Nate’s ass and I don’t know that will really affect me that much.”
Askren credits Diaz for his ability to stay relevant despite not having fought for three years. However, if Diaz truly believes the things he’s saying, “Funky” things the Stockton native is out of his mind:
“For what it’s worth, he does a great job making people interested in him. It’s a funny thing because to me he comes off as fairly unintelligent and he says some crazy s—t,” Askren said. “Like where he said he’s the king of lightweights. It’s kind of funny.
“In a little demented way, he believes it even though there’s no way it’s close to actually being true. In the same way that a lot of people do, I find it entertaining and in another way it’s like holy s—t this guy is out of his damn mind.
“He is not a threat in the slightest bit to the welterweight division. I think we’re getting down to the point where he’s just delusional.”
What do you make of Askren’s comments about Diaz and his welterweight record?
