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Ben Askren has made it clear over the last few weeks that he found it distasteful for Jorge Masvidal to team up with Jake Paul. A large section of the MMA community feels the same way as well following Masvidal's actions in recent weeks.
In a recent interview with James Lynch, Ben Askren spoke about the issue, calling Jorge Masvidal out on his 'annoying' behavior.
"I think, either way, it's bad. I mean, people aren't digging it whatsoever. He just looks like a dope. He really, really, really does. I don't know what he's doing. I don't get it. I think it's annoying. I have no issue with the fact that I got beat by a knee, and hey, that's part of my life. I live it. I'm not embarrassed by it," said Askren.
In a tweet earlier in March, Ben Askren also called Jorge Masvidal's attempt at mocking him by teaming up with Jake Paul 'cheesy'.
The rivalry between Ben Askren and Jorge Masvidal
Ben Askren and Jorge Masvidal had a heated back-and-forth ahead of their UFC 239 bout, where the latter scored the fastest knockout in UFC history by dropping the former with a knee in five seconds.
Ever since Jake Paul started taking shots at several prominent MMA stars following his win against Nate Robinson, the world of combat sports has not taken kindly to the YouTuber-turned-boxer.
In fact, fighters and fans alike have quite vocally rallied behind Ben Askren, hoping the former Olympian secures a win over Jake Paul when the two meet inside the boxing ring on April 17th at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium under the Triller Fight Club banner.
However, Jorge Masvidal has turned on a fellow MMA fighter and has taken Jake Paul's side in the battle. Not only is 'Gamebred' helping Jake Paul train, but he is also using his 5-second knockout win over Ben Askren to fuel the trash talk ahead of the bout.
Jorge Masvidal also made a virtual appearance during the press conference for the fight when Jake Paul video-called him and the two once again made fun of Askren.
Despite all the provocation, Ben Askren has said multiple times that he is neither ashamed nor embarrassed about his defeat. Askren stated that the KO was part and parcel of the career he had chosen.
