Ben Askren's UFC debut on Saturday night at UFC 235 wasn't without controversy, as the former ONE Championship fighter submitted Robbie Lawler in what many - including UFC president Dana - believe was an early stoppage. Replays were inconclusive as to whether or not Lawler was actually unconscious, but Lawler did snap right up after the ref stopped the match. To Dana White, that signifies Lawler wasn't actually out, and he believes a rematch is in order.
“You know, we had a debate, me, the ref, the commission, about being choked out. I’ve been choked out many times before too, and one of the things you don’t do is jump right up and say ‘What the f*** did you just do’ it never happens that way. That was a bad stoppage. It happens. What are you going to do? It sucks, it was a good fight," Dana White said during the post-fight press conference.
While both White and Lawler are set on a rematch, Askren does not seem on board.
“I pass (on a rematch),” Askren told reporters, including MMAjunkie, at the UFC 235 post-fight news conference. “I guess we’ll have that discussion. I would like to fight the winner of Till vs. Masvidal, I think that makes a whole lot of sense where the division is concerned. I didn’t really want to fight Robbie in the first place. The first matchup they offered I said yes. I did that.”
When White was told about Askren's desire to fight the winner of Till-Masvidal, he responded: "We want to do the fight again, so we'll figure it out."
Given the controversial ending, a rematch between Askren and Lawler seems pretty fair. Askren was bloodied early on, but somehow managed to recover and took Lawler to the mat where he got him in a bulldog choke.
“We got to do the rematch on that one, it’s only fair,” White reiterated in an interview with TSN. “(Askren) looked rough. It’s hard to come into the UFC for your first fight and shine and look great. It’s not easy. I don’t care who you are, or where you’ve been, or what you’ve done. This is a tough stage to come onto for the first time.”
We'll see how things shake up following the Darren Till-Jorge Masvidal main event for ESPN's UFC Fight Night 147 on March 16.