Ben Askren and Kevin Lee traded barbs over an old sparring session, but it wasn’t hostile.
Askren and Lee attended the UFC seasonal press conference yesterday (April 12). Askren will be meet Jorge Masvidal at UFC 239 on July 6. Lee will collide with Rafael dos Anjos on May 18.
Askren & Lee Engage In Fun Banter
During the presser, Lee was asked if Askren could be in his sights with the welterweight move. “The Motown Phenom” said the following (via MMAJunkie.com):
“I said I want to compete against the best. So, if Ben and me end up meeting, then that’d be some fun. He’s got the curly hair going on, so I might be interested in that. It’s a good little clash of styles.”
Askren recalled a time when he and Lee sparred at Roufusport:
“Once upon a time in Milwaukee, a young Kevin Lee showed up at Duke Roufus’ gym. Duke said, ‘Hey, there’s this young kid, can you work out with him? And it was just too easy to take him down. I start feeling really guilty about it.”
Lee didn’t hesitate to respond:
“Your stand-up was so bad that it was like, I didn’t want to hit you that hard. And you went full blast on a double-leg, as I’m like, touching – Let’s tell the story. If you want to tell the story, speak some truth. If you know me, you know me. But speak facts. Facts when you see it.”
Both men were smiling throughout the banter and Askren gave Lee props for the improvements he has made over the years. Lee admitted that it was a learning experience and that a bout with Askren would be intriguing:
“I learned a lot, I learned a lot. Like you said, that was a young Kevin Lee. So I learned a lot. That’s going to be fun.”
Do you think we’ll get to see Ben Askren vs. Kevin Lee some day?
