5 Burning Question That Will Be Answered At UFC 235
3. Can Ben Askren Back Up The Trash Talk?
Since being traded from One Champion to the UFC for Demetrious Johnson, 'Funky' Ben Askren has called out just about everyone in MMA.
The former Olympic wrestler is considered one of the best grapplers in mixed martial arts. Moreover, as anyone who follows the talented welterweight on Twitter knows, he is also an elite trash talker. He's gotten under Kamaru Usman's skin by playfully attempting to change his nickname from the 'Nigerian Nightmare' to 'Marty From Nebraska.' His banter has even got the attention of UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Askren is a former Bellator welterweight titleholder with a perfect 18-0 record. However, the one knock against the former Olympian is that he hasn't faced a ton of elite competition. At present, his biggest wins in MMA have come against Andrey Koreshkov and Douglas Lima — both of whom he fought over five years ago.
On 2 March, in his UFC debut, Askren will face his toughest test yet in former welterweight champ 'Ruthless' Robbie Lawler — a heavy-handed striker who has beaten some of the biggest names in the sport.
It's clear that Ben Askren can talk a good game. At UFC 235, he'll get his chance to back it up.