Over the weekend (Sat. March 2, 2019) former ONE and Bellator champion Ben Askren made his UFC debut. “Funky” went toe-to-toe with former UFC welterweight king Robbie Lawler. Askren survived an early onslaught from “Ruthless” which left him bloodied and battered in the opening minutes. Eventually, the fight found its way to the ground, and Askren established dominant position.
Askren locked in a deep bulldog choke, which initially seemed to render Lawler unconscious. However, as soon as the choke was released and referee Herb Dean waved the action off, Lawler shot to his feet and began protesting the stoppage. Due to his immediate response, a debate sprang out as to whether or not Lawler was actually unconscious or not.
Askren and the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) are in agreement that Lawler was, in fact, rendered unconscious. However, Lawler and UFC President Dana White are in agreement that the fight ended by way of a bad stoppage. Former longtime mixed martial arts (MMA) official and current Bellator MMA commentator John McCarthy offered his thoughts on the situation on Twitter recently.
He was in agreement that referee Herb Dean made a mistake with the stoppage:
“Obviously not. We are all human and we all make mistakes”
Obviously not. We are all human and we all make mistakes https://t.co/aiXEFQ862l
— Big John McCarthy (@JohnMcCarthyMMA) March 3, 2019
What did you think about the finish to Askren vs. Lawler at UFC 235?
