Askren Apparently Has Signed With ONE FC

Nothing official yet, but considering the move to EVOLVE there's a good probability this rumor will be confirmed soon.

Source: Askren to fight in One FC

Well, there's that.

Not the UFC, not even WSOF really, but I'm sure he's getting a very good contract and a good paycheck from them since they've been paying some of their fighters enough to turn down offers from the UFC.

If he still wants to receive an offer from the UFC, then he needs to continue dominating his opponents and he needs to start finishing them in impressive fashion so hopefully then the UFC will change theirs minds and make him an offer.

Lol Askren... Gnp... serious... haha

@Lopati, he basically broke Koreshkov.  That team needs to bring in some high level wrestlers to train with after what Askren did to Koresh and Brooks did to Tiger.  It looked like neither of them had ever been put in those positions before.

Gloom,  that is very interesting considering the Sambo that most of these high level russians have currently.  One would think they could do fair better against some of these wrestlers.

You'd think so, but apparently some good old folk style is more than they can handle.

Here's the Askren/Koreshkov fight.

Askren belongs in the UFC like a lot of guys here already said, and Dana is an absolute childish idiot for not signing him but on the other hand I'm not that high on Askren like many here.

I don't think he's top 10 for one, I mean it's not his fault but he never beat a top 10 guy. I  think he would get schooled hard by a lot of people with either great BJJ or great TDD as well.

I really wonder why he didn't choose to compete in WSOF, especially since Dana said he would sign him if he beats a few guys there??? Askren himself said on the MMA hour it's not about money for him, it's about competition. Then he goes to One FC...

Do they really leave all this **** up to Dana? Seems like they should have a few other big shots in the company weigh in in something like this, lol. I like Dana most of the time but once in a while he's talking out of his ass (Fedor sucks, we won't never have women's fights, etc)

@dielegende23 Don't ever believe the "it's not about the money" routine.

* Edited at 12.04.2013, 3:16 AM ET *

grizzlyedwin Yeah I guess you're right. One can only hope that Victor Cui signs some other intersting Welterweights now. I really like One FC hope they can give Askren some fights that at least to some degree challenge him.

My two posts did not come off like they were intended too. I rushed them because I was at work. I know Askren is the best pure wrestler in MMA and would beat anyone in a wrestling match in MMA. He top 5 best wrestlers in the world. However I think he overrated as MMA fighter. I don't believe those people I mention would stuff all his taken downs, far from it. I believe many of the elite UFC welter weights would be able to keep getting to their feet. I think after the first round Ben takedowns would not come nearly as easily. I believe people like Condit/Diaz would give Ben fits off their back and likely do more damage from that position then Ben would do on top. Ben has shown to slow down as fights go on and as he slows I think he going to have harder and harder time taking people down and holding them down. I do not think he does enough on top to threaten elite welter weights. Someone like Kampmann I think would have zero fear of Askren top game. Askren would get him down repeatedly in the first but I think his take downs would be become less frequent as the fight progressed, and he start getting lit up. I know Ben finished his last two opponents, but neither of them is UFC caliber fighters. I think Askren looks very dominant against sub par fighters but would not find the same success against elite level guys due to him being so one dimensional and not very threatening when on top. The one time he fought a UFC level fighter he had the fight of his life. I think in the current Welter weight division to be at the top of the division you need to have more than one aspect of MMA going for you. The division is just full of extremely well rounded fighters and high level wrestlers with big power. If he was fighting in another division like the Middle Weight division, I think being so dominant a wrestler would be enough (Similarly to chael), but not in the welter weight division, I just think this division is just too stacked at the top. 

I agree with everyone down arrowing my first two posts. They did not come off as I intended. Once I re read it I realized they came off like Askren could not take elite welter weights down, which was not my intention. I believe he can take them down, i just think he find it harder and harder to as the fight progresses. I do think fighters like Hendricks/GSP/Ellenburger he might not be able to get them down at all. Though they are not as good as him at wrestling, I think they are good enough at wrestling and much better strikers with power (hendricks/Ellenburger) that he might not be able to get the fight down at all before getting finished. I think he does not do enough on top to threaten elite welter weights either and that when the fights standing he will be getting lit up by most of them.

Also I cosign whoever it was that said “Remove franklin two post for offensive language” that **** was comic gold.

* Edited at 12.04.2013, 11:04 AM ET *

would like it better if he stayed on Bellator.
or maybe went to WSOF, theres some interesting matchups ou there.

Ill probably still watch him, but i dont think theres anybody out there to make it interesting against Ben.
But come to think of it, maybe this helps his development and after some two or three years of success he goes back to the US and we will see just how good he is.

I think WOSF would have been a better move just because we could have seen where he stands better compared to the top welter weights.

WSOF would have been perfect. If he could beat Fitch , Burkman , Carl and Palhares there would be no doubt how good he is. I wonder if he didnt like how they structure their contracts or something. ONE FC seems like a weird move.

Well, we wanted Askren to find some real competition....

He's starting out vs the best eva. 


1h phil baroni ✔@philbaroni @FrontRowBrian @ONEFCMMA @Benaskren I was beating up Olympic wrestlers since 2001 and silver medalist at that
Ben Askren@BenaskrenFollow
@philbaroni @FrontRowBrian @ONEFCMMA ha Phil you would go cry in the bathroom to your GF again after I finished abusing you  

Sigh.  Baroni.

I'd rather see an Askren/Aoki 165 lbs catchweight fight.

he isnt really the best ever u know, thats just a nickname

so is baroni going to have a tag team partner then?

Well, at least Ben's going to increase his finishing rate and pre-fight banter is going to be funny as **** :)

Ben Askren‏@Benaskren3h

@philbaroni @FrontRowBrian @ONEFCMMA ha Phil you would go cry in the bathroom to your GF again after I finished abusing you.

phil baroni‏@philbaroni2h

@Benaskren @FrontRowBrian @ONEFCMMA Ha ha ha Kids got jokes and ****

Ben Askren‏@Benaskren2h

@philbaroni @FrontRowBrian @ONEFCMMA wasn't a joke you seriously cried to your GF in a bathroom. It was embarrassing to even watch!

phil baroni‏@philbaroni2h

@ONEFCMMA looks like I'll be staying at 170 for a minute. @Benaskren don't worry the big homie will make ya famous. I'm gona **** you up