All Ben Askren wants is an official announcement.
The former ONE Championship welterweight champion is headed to the UFC, but the leading MMA promotion has yet to actually confirm the news with an official post or statement on social media or its website.
On the flip side of the historic “trade” involving Askren and former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, ONE has promoted Johnson’s signing quite a bit already, including a conference call on Sunday.
Askren is just looking for some love from his new home.
“Hey @ufc are you gonna make an announcement?” Askren asked in a tweet on Tuesday morning. “You are like that guy with a GF who’s embarrassed to tell his buddies even when everyone knows! Ha ha ha you know you love me.”
Askren’s long-awaited, highly-anticipated UFC signing was reported as a done deal earlier this week. The UFC swapped Johnson, who signed with ONE, for Askren in the first ever MMA “trade.”
Askren has had a complex and rocky relationship with the UFC, particularly promotion president Dana White, whom he has gone back and forth with, over the years. White has said on several occasions that Askren did not have enough experience to fight in the UFC. As of Askren’s signing, White has Askren blocked on Twitter.
Since his signing, Askren has called out just about every notable UFC welterweight, including former interim champ Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal, Darren Till, as well as former middleweight and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and current lightweight titleholder Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Askren, undefeated at 18-0, 1 NC, last fought in November when he defended the ONE title for the fourth time in a fight against Shinya Aoki, which he won by TKO in under a minute. He retired after that fight, but said he’d return to the sport if he was given the opportunity to prove himself as the best welterweight in the world.
Perhaps a roadblock to do so, Askren trains with current UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley at Roufusport in Milwaukee. He has said multiple times he will not ever fight Woodley.