5 Ben Askren fights that we missed out on in the UFC

#5 vs. Colby Covington

Colby Covington could've turned Askren from a villain into a hero with his trash talk

Throughout his MMA career, Ben Askren’s outspoken demeanor made him a villain in the eyes of most fans, and it seemed like the former Olympian was more than happy to play the role of antagonist, particularly when it came to talking trash on potential foes in the UFC. But if one opponent could’ve turned Askren from villain to hero in the eyes of the fans, it would’ve been the current top contender for the UFC Welterweight title, Colby Covington.

Covington’s polarising trash-talk – braggadocios in the style of Conor McGregor, but with a disturbing undercurrent of quasi-racism and pro-Donald Trump politics – has made him arguably the most hated man in MMA, and in comparison to ‘Chaos’, Askren’s smart mouth would practically have made him seem lovable.

A fight between the two would’ve been fascinating from an in-cage perspective, too; an NCAA Division I All-American, Covington’s amateur wrestling credentials don’t come close to Askren’s on paper, but few fighters have been able to parlay their wrestling game into MMA quite so well as ‘Chaos’, who has been able to essentially outwrestle anyone he’s faced in UFC action thus far.

Could Covington have taken Askren down? Or would he have been forced to use his wrestling in reverse – and looked to use his improving boxing game instead? And what would’ve happened had Askren planted Covington on his back? They’re all fascinating questions, but they’re also ones that won’t ever be answered, sadly.