Ever since Ben Askren joined the UFC, he has gone back-and-forth with several welterweights including current champion, Kamaru Usman. “Funky” has called him “Marty from Nebraska” and has mentioned that is a fight he wants.
Well, it appears the champ doesn’t care who he fights, but he believes the fight against Askren would be big.
“As a champion, whoever I defend that belt against is going to make me a little extra money,” Usman said backstage at UFC 237 (h/t MMA Junkie). “I need to have worthy adversaries that people are going to be interested in seeing me beat up. If he’s already starting to stir the pot and make that fight big, I love it. I have nothing against Ben Askren. When we step in that cage, I’m beating up anybody.”
For that fight to first take place Askren will need to beat Jorge Masvidal. If he does, Usman knows he will be another guy in line to fight for the title one day.
“Ben Askren was never an issue for me,” Usman said. “He came in, and of course, he wanted to really sell himself. Now, he’s in the big show and he needs to make a splash, and he did that. So I’m glad that everybody’s talking about him. That’s just another guy … that’s waiting for me.”
