Ben Askren on trashing after KO loss: "I deserve it"

Ben Askren is in surprisingly good spirits despite being on the losing end of record-breaking knockout.

The fight that stole the show at UFC 239 was without a doubt the welterweight grudge match between Jorge Masvidal and Ben Askren. There was a lot of bad blood between the fighters, who both talked a tough game before finally meeting in the octagon. The fight it self was incredibly short lived as Masvidal charged forward with a picture-perfect flying knee that knocked Askren out cold.

Now, just two days out from the fight, Askren took the time to join Ariel Helwanis podcast to talk at length about the fight, aftermath, and how he feels about the harsh backlash he’s received since losing for the first time in his MMA career.

“I feel like I probably deserve it,” Askren said “I’ve been antagonizing people for almost a decade now, and it never came up on the end of the stick. Now, I’m not reading everything they’re antagonizing me with. I’m just scrolling through it. I don’t want to dwell on that. But fair enough. I always figured that when this point happened, I’d get lit up. I’m not paying attention to it, but I’m sure I’m getting lit up.”

Askren returned from retirement to join the UFC, and brought his trash-talking attitude with him. He quickly became a huge draw in the UFC, even though his debut ended in a controversial submission loss.

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