Ben Askren and Kevin Lee trade words about a past training session
It is no secret that Ben Askren has joined the UFC roster and instantly caused controversy in the Welterweight division. However, Ben was not completely to blame in this instance as his next opponent, Jorge ''Gamebred'' Masvidal, could not attend the UFC's Seasonal press conference.
On Friday, it was Kevin Lee's turn to step into firing range with Askren after a reporter asked for Lee's thoughts on a potential matchup with ''funky''. Kevin Lee already has a tough feat ahead of him in the form of Rafael dos Anjos at Welterweight, but entertained the idea now that it is a potential fight in the future. Ben Askren interjected Lee's answer after a while, spilling an anecdote of how it was ''too easy to take him down'' when Kevin showed up at Duke Roufus' gym in Milwaukee. The pair exchanged words of each other's weaknesses in the training session, citing poor takedown defence and stand up as their respective kryptonite.
As mentioned, Kevin Lee (17-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) will face Rafael dos Anjos (28-11 MMA, 17-9 UFC) in his UFC Welterweight debut on May 18 at UFC on ESPN+ 9. Askren (19-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in turn takes on Jorge Masvidal (33-13 MMA, 10-6 UFC) at UFC 239, July 6.
No matter what the future holds, both fighters have to focus on their scheduled bouts before future fights can be scheduled. Having said this, Sean Shelby's life just got a whole lot easier.
What are your thoughts on Ben ''Funky'' Askren?