Ben Askren: ‘Marty’ Usman Fought Like ‘A B***h’ At UFC 235

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Ben Askren’s UFC debut against Robbie Lawler on the main card of last night’s (Sat., March 2, 2019) UFC 235 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, was one of the most anticipated in promotion history.

Unfortunately, it ended amid mass controversy when he was dropped on his head only to recover and submit Lawler. But replays showed that the former champ was not out from Askren’s bulldog choke. MMA Twitter justifiably went off on the stoppage due to its questionable timing.

In the following fight, Askren’s good friend, UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, met top contender Kamaru Usman for the title in the co-main. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ destroyed “T-Wood” for five rounds to win the title. Askren, who had often poked at Usman by calling him “Marty” in a reference to his collegiate days, had quite the reaction to “The Chosen One’s” loss:

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It’s possibly not the best timing for Askren to call the new champion a “b****,’ especially with his own style rooted in wrestling. It is good timing for Askren to get revenge in his own title fight, as he has a pre-installed rivalry with ‘The Nigerian Nightmare.’

Usman will reportedly fight former interim champion Colby Covington in his next bout. Askren is looking to fight the winner of March 16’s UFC London headliner between Darren Till and Jorge Masvidal. If both win, a match-up between Usman and Askren will be a clear match.

As we’ve seen, “Funky” won’t quit calling Usman “Marty” until it finally does go down.