Ben Askren: I Don’t Know What Dana White’s Problem Is
After his win last weekend, welterweight Ben Askren wants a sitdown with UFC President Dana White. “Funky” feels there is an obvious rift.
“Dana doesn’t talk to me, we don’t deal with each other at all. I haven’t even talked to him at all,” Askren explained on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show.
The beef between Askren and White is deep-seeded. Both men have taken verbal shots at each other for the better part of five years. Still, the boss insists that he isn’t holding any grudge towards Askren or anyone else.
“Oh my God! This is crazy! It’s like Colby Covington saying this too. I don’t know what I do to people to make them think I hate them,” said White during the UFC 235 post-fight press conference. “That dude is nuts,” he added. “That’s crazy, he’s never asked me for 30 minutes of my time. Ever. I’ve never turned down a fighter that asked me if we can talk. Even Tito (Ortiz). Never done it, never.”
Askren has a slightly different take on Dana’s actions.
“Listen, I don’t know what this guy has against me, but he obviously had something against me in 2013 and it’s pretty obvious, even though he tries to say he doesn’t, he does now. His body language and actions speak one way, even though his words speak another. His disdain for me after the fight Saturday night was so palpable you could almost touch it,” Askren said.
“I don’t know what his problem is, I really don’t. I have tried multiple times now to sit down with him and have reasonable conversations with him to ask what his issue with me is, and he won’t even sit down with me.”
As far as what’s next for Askren, White said he would like them to run it back. However, it sounds like Askren has other ideas as he has already booked a trip to the UK to confront the winner of Till vs Masvidal. Besides, it sounds like Askren has a lot of respect for Robbie Lawler.
“No, I didn’t want to fight Robbie in the first place. Listen, I’m sorry that Dana’s guy didn’t win, and he’s pouting about it right now and he wants to run it back, but we’re just not going to do that,” he said.
“I didn’t want to fight him in the first place. How does that benefit me? If I beat him again, I’m not really in a better spot than I am right now. I’m in a spot right now where I can have a whole bunch of new fights. Me and Colby, you can put me and (Darren) Till together, it will be a huge fight. So why do I want to go take a fight, that I already won fairly and squarely?”
The “Funky” Ben Askren saga continues.
