Ben Askren is only interested in fighting Jorge Masvidal again under MMA rules.
Masvidal, who like Askren, is now retired, recently revealed he would come out of retirement to face the latter, but only in a boxing match.
“I heard Ben Askren said he’d come out of retirement to fight me,” Masvidal told TMZ Sports (via MMA Fighting). “I was like, ‘This dude…’ He wanted MMA but for his sake, I’d do boxing [if I were him] so I can’t knee him in the face, it’s illegal. Duh. Come on, man (laughs).
“Hey, Ben. I’ll beat your ass with both hands behind my back. Ben’s so bad at boxing. He’s the one that said it. Look, Ben, I’ll only give you the rematch in boxing, motherf*****. People will tune in because I can’t knee him in the face, right? Maybe Ben can ‘get his way now.’ Hey, Ben, kiss my ass, you coming out of retirement. I’ll send you right back into it, motherf*****. This guy, bro. They shouldn’t have shown me that comment, you corny motherf*****.”
Soon after, “Funky” would take to Twitter to reveal a text sent to UFC president Dana White.
“I know I'm retired but I sure would love to beat up Jorge. Let me know if he is in,” Askren texted while mentioning that the ball was in Masvidal's court.
He followed that up by clarifying that he still only wanted a rematch in MMA and if Masvidal was really a BMF — bad motherf***** — he'd accept it.
Masvidal, of course, famously knocked out Askren in five seconds when they fought back in July 2019. Askren was a major betting favorite going into the fight as many expected him to outwrestle Masvidal over three rounds.
Instead, his wrestling game plan was his downfall as he ducked his head down looking for a takedown as Masvidal sprinted towards him only to receive a flying knee that knocked him out cold.
While it was one of the most iconic moments in recent history, many also believe it was a freak result that wouldn't happen again.
Askren seems to think so as well which is a prime reason why he wants a rematch under MMA rules where he can utilize his superior wrestling game rather than a boxing match where his poor striking can get exposed once again.