10 Major UFC Signings That Failed Miserably
3. Ben Askren
Much like his Bellator brethren, Hector Lombard, Ben Askren was an utter nightmare for fighters while surging up the ranks for the then fledgling promotion. His unorthodox wrestling skills meant that he was able to take every opponent down with ease and hold them without really ever taking too much punishment, helping him become the most successful champion in organisation's history.
The same happened when he moved over to One Championship, where he also won their welterweight strap. So when the UFC traded former flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson for him back in 2018, it looked like a new contender had entered one of the promotion's most talent-filled weight classes. Could Askren back up all of his trash talk and finally prove that he was right about how good he is?
His first fight at UFC 235 against Robbie Lawler was a strange one to say the least. After getting bludgeoned by the seasoned striker, Askren somehow managed to lock in bulldog choke. While Lawler didn't tap, referee Herb Dean thought his arm went limp and called the fight.
If that bout gave fans some doubts, the other two confirmed that his signing was an absolute bust. The record-breaking, viral sensation that was Askren getting annihilated by Jorge Masvidal's flying knee was impressive. However, his match-up against UFC veteran and legendary grappler, Demian Maia. really confirmed that he wasn't at UFC level even when he was in his comfort zone.