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Ben Askren is a two-time NCAA D1 wrestling champion, an Olympian and undefeated in professional mixed martial arts.
He is arguably one of the best welterweights to have fought in any mixed martial arts promotion.
At 33 years of age, he is semi-retired from professional MMA and has two more fights remaining on his contract with ONE FC.
But he has never competed in the UFC and never had an opportunity to face any of the high-level welterweights in the UFC roster.
This is a very strange credential for any top welterweight on the planet and it can leave behind a question mark on his legacy.
The above statement makes a lot of sense, but Askren's world-class wrestling coupled with his untouched win streak still makes him the front-runner for the 'greatest of all time' in the welterweight division.
This feature consists of five interesting matchups which can cement his legacy as the greatest of all time in the welterweight division.
#5 Dillon Danis
Dillon Danis is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Marcelo Garcia and the right-hand man of Irish MMA legend, The 'Notorious' Conor McGregor.
Danis was invited to become a coach and main grappling training partner ahead of the Conor's match against Nate Diaz, for UFC 202.
Later, he became best buddies with Conor and started learning the other aspects of the game from him and his crew at SBG Ireland.
The 'Notorious' McGregor's profound influence could be the incentive behind him calling out Ben Askren immediately after his first MMA victory against Kyle Walker in Bellator 198 event.
Askren might be a world-class wrestler and more well-rounded than him, but Dillon's Jiujitsu is below nobody.
He has a high-level leglock game and has a proven record of effectively utilizing toehold and kneebars to submit his opponents.
It takes few years of intense training to beat a high-level leg locker in his game, but Askren's takedown defense is hard to get through.
With McGregor at his corner, things may get really interesting when Dillon squares off against Askren.
Beating the young and ultra-talented protege of Conor McGregor can definitely add more color to Askren's legacy.
#4 Rory McDonald
Rory McDonald is a Canadian mixed martial artist and the current Bellator Welterweight Champion, he is also the training partner of MMA legend GSP at Tristar gym.
The UFC vet is one of the best welterweight prospects in the MMA world and a great matchup for Ben Askren.
Mcdonald is an exceptional striker with great heart and a phenomenal wrestler with excellent takedowns and slams.
A matchup between these elite fighters will be a treat for the fans and big money for the promotion.
Rory and Askren have earlier had multiple verbal sparring sessions in the cyber world and they have consented to a potential matchup.
Now it's up to the matchmakers to create favorable conditions for these titans to test their mettle against each other.
Bellator CEO Scott cocker is pretty negative about a possible matchup between them and said the gap between Askren’s desire and business reality was very wide.
We still have reason to hope as Askern can easily smash two opponents real fast and get out of the contract with ONE FC real fast once he comes out of his semi-retirement.
#3 Tyron Woodley
Tyron 'The Chosen One' Woodley is the current UFC Welterweight champion whose last loss was almost four years ago to current Bellator welterweight champion Rory Mcdonald.
T-Wood is not just another wrestler with an overhand right but an intelligent grappler with a ton of striking potential.
He is a two time NCAA D1 wrestler and holds folk wrestling background just like his counterpart Ben Askren.
He is also a BJJ Blackbelt and has a history of stopping high-level opponents with leg kicks leading to a knee injury.
The fact that he went five rounds against the elusive striker wonderboy twice and came out with his hands high speaks a lot about his striking prowess.
Stylistically this is a very interesting matchup and can be a real test for Ben Askren, as both the fighters have a similar style.
But the possibility of them fighting is really bleak as they are training partners and have been strong friends for more than 20 years.
Also, these fighters have a longtime beef going on with UFC President Dana White which makes this fight unthinkable inside UFC.
#2 Georges St-Pierre
GSP is the greatest welterweight of his time and had one of the longest and most triumphant careers in UFC.
At 37 years of age, he is still fighting and recently defeated Michael Bisping to become the world middleweight champion.
But if that same GSP, who showed up to fight Bisping, shows up to fight Ben Askren, things could become very different.
GSP maybe past his prime now, and it may not be the right occasion to matchup with a killer like Askren, but there is a big huge gap between GSP's stand-up and Askren's standup game.
GSP is a master of timing and improvisation and has the record of most takedowns in UFC history among other things.
He also holds a black belt in BJJ and has some of best men in the business at his corner to guide him before and during the fight.
Josh Koscheck is one of best wrestler faced by GSP during his long illustrious career and was defeated twice via unanimous decision.
Thus GSP has a record of beating high-level wrestlers, but can he overcome Askern's wrestling is what the combat world wants to know.
The only way to figure this out is by making them square off inside the octagon for a five-round war.
Askren is very keen on making this fight as it gives him an occasion to forever cement himself as the greatest welterweight of his generation.
But the real question is, will St-Pierre take that fight?
#1 Khabib Nurmagomedov
Fighting out of, Dagestan, Russia, Khabib Nurmagomedov is the current lightweight champion of the UFC.
He has outclassed and outpowered all his opponents till date and is arguably the best 'pound for pound' fighter' in the UFC.
Khabib's elite wrestling coupled with his sheer power has destroyed some of the advanced strikers in this division.
There are clearly no wrestlers in the division who can give him a test of his abilities, and he is ready to move up to the 170lbs welterweight division and take up challenges.
Askren is one fighter who can neutralize all his attacks and beat him in his own game, in other words, he is capable of ending the poetic Khabib time.
'Askern vs Khabib' is the fight, all hardcore fans want to see, both of these fighters rely heavily on the takedown plus 'ground and pound' strategy.
It will be a treat to watch these two elite grapplers out-scramble and out-wrestle each other for five rounds.
Askren is an American who can beat the 'pound for pound greatest Russian'. If this fight is promoted the right way, It can beat all PPV sale records to date.
To make this fight a reality, Dana White should come to terms with Askren. Considering the immense marketability of this fight, It remains a possibility.
If we don't get to see this fight inside UFC, Let's pray to the MMA Gods to make it happen at least inside 'Chael Sonnen's submission underground' grappling tournament.
