UFC color commentator Joe Rogan has indicated that he would be willing to help recently retired welterweight star Ben Askren get signed to the promotion.
The 33-year-old Askren bowed out of the sport with an undefeated 18-0 (+1nc) record recently despite being ONE FC’s long-time 170lb champion and Bellator’s titleholder before that.
However, in recent interviews, Askren has indicated that he still harbors an ambition to go up against UFC superstar Georges St.Pierre in a welterweight superfight, and that’s something that sporting purists like Rogan would love to see happen.
There is a big catch though, as Askren previously held talks with the UFC prior to signing with ONE FC, and as he explained himself earlier this week, they could scarcely have gone worse.
“(My first UFC negotiation) was so dirty, it left such a bad taste in my mouth,” Askren told MMAJunkie Radio. “I already didn’t want to talk to Dana. I don’t trust a damn word that comes out of his mouth. I don’t trust a word. It’s like, why did I never pursue that again?”
“Well, it’s because the first time I got screwed over – it was just about as dirty a deal as anyone could give you. I don’t want to have that discussion again. I don’t trust them one bit.”
That’s why Rogan, who recently had Askren on his ‘MMA Show’ podcast, has indicated that he’d be willing to step in as an intermediary to help a deal between the two parties come to fruition.
“I’ve talked to [White] about [signing Askren] in the past,” Rogan said on the latest episode of his podcast. “I think if Ben and him sat down and I could be there, maybe I could help. I’d do that. I’d 100 percent be willing to do that.”
