Ben Askren is aware of what Francis Ngannou goes via.
Earlier this month, Ngannou made his PFL debut, knocking out Renan Ferreira at PFL Superfights: Battle of the Giants in his first MMA combat since leaving the UFC final yr.
Ngannou’s return reignited dialogue about his UFC exit, which in flip led UFC CEO Dana White to repeatedly bash his former heavyweight champion, saying Ngannou is “stuffed with shit,” that left as a result of he didn’t wish to combat Jon Jones, and questioning Ngannou’s character. It was a full blown assault on Ngannou, one which Askren is aware of all too properly.
“Dana spent years mendacity, saying I didn’t wish to combat one of the best, I didn’t need challenges, I used to be operating away, and that couldn’t have been farther from the reality,” Askren mentioned on his YouTube present with Daniel Cormier. “So, it sucked to have this man – it’s basically slander, saying issues about me that I knew weren’t true. Dana has this a part of his character when he can’t get what he needs, and in that case, he didn’t supply me a contract, so he type of acquired what he needed.
“However then I believe as a result of I used to be persevering with to have success and folks have been persevering with to observe me, he needed me off in a darkish nook the place everybody ignored me or one thing. However he’s carried out the identical factor with [Cris] Cyborg, I imagine Randy Couture had an identical expertise, clearly now Francis. If I assumed actually onerous I might in all probability consider another ones. However there’s this bizarre a part of Dana’s character the place, if he doesn’t get precisely what he needs, he simply begins crapping on folks. And since he has a giant microphone and since he’s typically very truthful and usually right, folks simply imagine him.
“So I needed to take care of a few years of Dana telling lies about me that have been very dangerous to me, that he had no motive or foundation for doing.”
Askren is a former Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight champion and extensively thought of to be probably the greatest fighters outdoors of the UFC throughout his title runs. He in the end did be a part of the promotion in 2019 when ONE Championship traded him for Demetrious Johnson, and had a newfound constructive relationship with White, who lauded Askren’s willingness to combat and promote himself.
Sadly, Askren’s UFC profession was short-lived as he struggled to search out the identical stage of success within the UFC, going simply 1-2 within the promotion earlier than retiring on the finish of the yr attributable to accidents. And now that he’s retired, Askren says he merely has no relationship with White.
“I don’t see Dana, ever,” Askren mentioned. “I haven’t seen Dana since I completed combating. I’m not in that world anymore. I don’t prepare very many fighters … I type of simply do my very own factor.”