UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks has been relatively quiet while recovering from a torn biceps, but that doesn't stop other fighters from talking about him. Lately, "Big Rigg" has had to field barbs from a fighter not even in the UFC, OneFC welterweight champ Ben Askren.
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Askren has always been outspoken ever since he was Bellator MMA's 170-pound champion, but lately he's been very vocal about the way he views the UFC and its president Dana White. Askren has also challenged Henricks on social media:
@JohnyHendricks don't get confused about your power. You knocked out 2 old guys with no chin, you don't even hit that hard. Don't be scared
— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) September 4, 2014
Recently, Askren spoke to MMAFighting.com and discussed his hatred for Hendricks, which stems from their days in college while Askren wrestled at Missouri and Hendricks was a two-time national champion at Oklahoma State. According to Askren, Hendricks used dirty tactics against his Missouri teammate and current UFC welterweight contender Tyron Woodley.
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"He was wrestling my teammate Tyron Woodley in the Big 12 finals, 2005-06, somewhere around there, and [the score] was 1-1 in the third. Tyron's in on a shot, and Johny kept sticking his fingers into Tyron's mouth," Askren said. "So finally Tyron bites him, which he shouldn't have done, but when someone's sticking fingers in your mouth, it's like, c'mon, so he gave up a point because he bit him, land he lost match 2-1... He was just doing sneaky s--- like that all the time."
Askren claims that Hendricks refused to face him at an All-Star collegiate wrestling meet. He also said Hendricks lied about their run-in at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale in July.
"I stopped him, I said Johny, go tell Dana we need to fight," Askren said. "He was response was 'Dana who?' At this point I'm so dumbfounded he said Dana who, I'm like obviously you know who I'm talking about Johny, don't be a dummy. I just started laughing, before I finished laughing, he walked off. That was our face to face right there, if he said I didn't say anything to his face that's a damn lie."
Hendricks and Askren won't fight anytime soon as long as Askren is fighting for another promotion. Askren said he's unsure if he ever wants to fight in the UFC, but it's likely he won't stop antagonizing Hendricks at any chance he gets.
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