'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On October 25, 2018, Noted MMA Journalist Ariel Helwani broke the news that the UFC and One Fighting Championship are closer to finalizing what could the first ever trade-off in the world of Mixed Martial Arts.
The tradeoff would see former UFC Flyweight Champion and one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC, Demetrious ' Mighty Mouse' Johnson to go to the Singapore-based promotion while the former ONE Welterweight Champion Ben Askren would finally be arriving in the UFC.
Although DJ has confirmed his ONE Championship links and had a press conference yesterday, the UFC is yet to release a statement confirming the trade-off and Askren's signing with the company as of this writing.
As expected, this news has resulted in a huge storm in the world of Mixed Martial Arts. Askren is one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport to have never fought in the UFC and fans have been wanting to see the undefeated fighter step into the octagon for years.
Ever since the announcement by Helwani, Askren has been on a tirade targeting a multitude of UFC Stars such as Darren Till, Nick and Nate Diaz, Georges St-Pierre and Khabib Nurmagamedov.
While the deal is still not set in stone and we will wait for a few days till more details emergence, this has undoubtedly grabbed the attention of MMA fans all around the world. If the deal is finally inked, here are four fighters that we would like Askren to face once he officially signs with the UFC:
#4 Darren Till
One of the first victims of Askren's Twitter tirade was the once-undefeated Bantamweight contender, Darren Till. Till's last fight was against Tyron Woodley in the main event of UFC 228 where he lost via submission in the second record.
This was the Englishman's first loss in the world of MMA after he had been on a four-match winning streak. Interestingly, Askren is a longtime friend and teammate of Tyron Woodley as they both train in Milwaukee, Wisconsin under renowned coach, Duke Roufus.
Askren vs Till is an interesting matchup as it will be a clash of styles. While Till is one of the best Muay Thai specialists on the UFC roster who uses roundhouse kicks aplenty in all of his matches, Askren is renowned for his wrestling and has the ability to take down opponents quickly and finish them off.
What makes the prospect of this match even more interesting is the fact that Till was undefeated only a month ago until he was involved in a fight which even the bookers couldn't predict. Given how talented and high-skilled both these men are, expect nothing but fireworks if these two men do battle inside the octagon in the near future.
#3 Nate Diaz
Nate Diaz became an overnight sensation in the world of Mixed Martial Arts after battering Connor McGregor at UFC 192. The foul-mouthed younger brother of Nick Diaz became one of the hottest properties in the sports after making McGregor submit in the second round via a rear naked choke.
He then lost his rematch against McGregor at UFC 202 via decision in a razor-sharp contest where both the men spilled a lot of blood. His feud against McGregor will do gown as one of the biggest feuds in UFC history with their matches breaking and setting numerous UFC pay-per-view records.
Diaz was scheduled to face Dustin Poirier in the co-main event of UFC 230 at Madison Square Garden on November 3 but an injury to Poirier has meant that the bout had to be canceled. Like Till, Diaz was also one of the UFC fighters at whom Askren took potshots during his Twitter tirade after the rumors of being traded to the UFC began surfacing.
Diaz is one of the best welterweights in the UFC currently but his record of 19-11 doesn't do justice to a fighter of his caliber. Diaz has been inconsistent in that regard and his brash, don't give a damn attitude and strange relationship with UFC President Dana White has meant that he is not being promoted the way he should be. A fight against Askren will be the perfect opportunity for Diaz to make his come back after almost 2 years.
#2 Khabib Nurmagomedov
From one of the hottest stars of the yesteryears to one of the most talked about stars of the UFC right now, Khabib Nurmagomedov has cemented his position as one of the greatest Lightweights in UFC history following his dominating victory over Connor McGregor at UFC 229. To merely say that Khabib shut his critics and naysayers in his fight against McGregor will be a gross understatement.
Khabib has become a big-time star in the UFC following his victory over McGregor and he currently holds the longest undefeated streak in MMA History at a staggering 27-0 record. But alas, all good things must come to an end right?
Ben Askren is an opponent that we believe will be the perfect foil for the Dagestani. Like Khabib, Askren is undefeated in MMA and has finished his opponents in his last three fights. Askren is one of the best wrestlers in MMA and is someone whom many believe that all the tools to snap the undefeated streak of Nurmagamedov. This one is going to be one of the biggest fights in the company's history as it will pit two undefeated behemoths against one another.
#1 Georges St-Pierre
Widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time, Georges St-Pierre is one of the biggest stars in MMA history. The former UFC Middleweight Champion is currently on a hiatus due to medical complications from ulcerative colitis. The French-Canadian star was last seen in the octagon when he defeated the reigning UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping at UFC 217 last December. GSP vacated his Middleweight Championship just 34 days after winning it on December 7, 2017, due to his medical condition.
Ever since then, GSP has called out by Khabib Nurmagamedov after his Lightweight Championship win at UFC 223. Rumors also began surfacing that GSP was penciled in to face Nate Diaz in the co-main event of UFC 230 but St-Pierre himself confirmed the news saying that he was approached for the fight but wasn't interested in fighting Diaz. GSP instead said that he will willing to drop down to Lightweight to face the winner of Khabib Vs Connor.
GSP vs Askren is a fight that hardcore MMA fans have been wanting to see for a long time. In fact, Askren himself has said on multiple platforms that he wants to be in the UFC for the sole reason of squaring off against Georges St-Pierre. The former Bellator and ONE Welterweight Champion seem to set his sights on one of the, if not the best welterweight of all time.
This fight could settle the question of who really is the best Welterweight in Mixed Martial Arts history. This is one of the biggest money fights for the UFC and if this trade-off is greenlighted, we expect this fight to be one of the company's top priority.
