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Ben Askren Reacts To Jorge Masvidal's Comeback Tease: 'Listen, If Dana Called Me...'

Originally posted on MMA News | By Harvey Leonard | Last updated 1/4/24

It seems that former 'BMF' titleholder Jorge Masvidal won't be without options should he follow through on his recent "unretired" claim with a return to the UFC.

Masvidal hung up his gloves as a 52-fight veteran of mixed martial arts last year. His final appearance came at UFC 287 in Miami, where high-ranked welterweight contender Gilbert Burns added a fourth defeat to his disappointing losing skid.

The result added to a winless period that saw "Gamebred" comfortably outpointed by friend-turned-bitter rival Colby Covington and fail in two title bids against Kamaru Usman.

When announcing his retirement, Masvidal gave a realistic assessment of where he was at physically, admitting that he simply couldn't compete at the highest level anymore.

But it seems that his days as an active competitor may not be over, if a recent social media post is to be believed.

Given his run of setbacks prior to hanging up the gloves, not many would be expecting Masvidal to find success against those in their prime should he return to the UFC.

With that said, the promotion could look to match the Miami standout up with a fellow veteran, and one retired fighter who Masvidal knows well is more than willing.

Askren Raises His Hand For Masvidal Rematch Amid UFC Return Rumors

During a recent episode of Funky & the Champ, ex-Bellator and ONE Championship titleholder Ben Askren gave his thoughts on Masvidal's "unretired" tweet.

"Funky" is familiar with "Gamebred," having briefly shared the cage with him at UFC 239 back in 2019. Their contest lasted just five seconds, with Masvidal knocking Askren out with an instantaneous flying knee.

The grappling specialist has frequently branded the result a fluke and insisted he would level the score in a rematch. And if Masvidal is planning a UFC comeback, Askren would happily make it two returns for the price of one.

"Listen, okay, I will make a statement right now. If Dana called me and said, 'Ben, Jorge Masvidal, UFC 300, International (Fight Week),' I don't give a damn, I'm out of retirement," Askren said. "I'll fight him, I don't care... But he'll never say yes to that, unless maybe he loses some more money or something. But it would be great.

"It's one of those things... I don't wanna be begging and groveling for it. I mean, it's unlikely to happen. So, it's like, if someone calls me and says it's gonna happen, okay, I'm there. If it doesn't, I'm just gonna live my life," Askren continued. "I'm ready, I stay in shape, I wrestle a lot... I'm in good shape. He wants to fight? Great, but I'm not gonna campaign for it.

Askren was the victim of a moment that is largely credited for Masvidal's rise to superstardom, with "Funky" falling to the fastest knockout in UFC history.

The result followed a debut win in the promotion for Askren over Robbie Lawler. But after suffering the brutal defeat to Masvidal and subsequently getting choked out by Demian Maia, the wrestling ace called time on his career in late 2019.

This article first appeared on MMA News and was syndicated with permission.

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