Ben Askren made good on his long-anticipated UFC debut on Saturday when he defeated former champ Robbie Lawler at UFC 235 – but it came with controversy.
Askren (19-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), the former Bellator and ONE Championship titleholder, returned from a short retirement to defeat Lawler (28-13 MMA, 13-7 UFC) by first-round submission in the featured UFC 235 pay-per-view bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Askren’s victory over Lawler at UFC 235.
* * * *
A huge welterweight fight is up next at #UFC235 as former UFC champ Robbie Lawler (@Ruthless_RL) finally welcomes former Bellator/ONE Championship titleholder @BenAskren to the octagon.
Full play-by-play: https://t.co/VhubKoMI4t pic.twitter.com/n0r7ilVsnJ
— MMAjunkie (@MMAjunkie) March 3, 2019
"Funky" Ben Askren out to "Give Up the Funk" by Parliament Funkadelic. Seems fitting #UFC235
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) March 3, 2019
Robbie Lawler out to "Ain't No Grave" by Johnny Cash#UFC235
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) March 3, 2019
#UFC235 Closing Betting Odds: Ben Askren (-280) vs. Robbie Lawler (+230) 💵 @espn @ufc @Jon_Anik @joerogan @DominickCruz @espnmma @MMAOddsBreaker
— Nick Kalikas (@FightOdds) March 3, 2019
Wha…
— Phil Murphy (@Phil_Sports) March 3, 2019
Son! Robbie Lawler just Olympic Slammed Ben Askren! Word to Kurt Angle.
— Andreas Hale (@AndreasHale) March 3, 2019
Oh. Ok. That’s how we’re playing it.
— Fernanda Prates (@NandaPrates_) March 3, 2019
Welcome to the UFC!!
— Mike Brown (@mikebrownmma) March 3, 2019
You don’t need to ask @Ruthless_RL what he does for a living when you meet him. Them “fighting eyes”. #UFC235
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) March 3, 2019
………………………………………………………………………………. #UFC235
— Mike Jackson, Esq. (@TheTruthJackson) March 3, 2019
Holy shit lawler is an animal!
— ike vallie-flagg (@IKEVF) March 3, 2019
Holy shit
— David Rickels (@TheCaveman316) March 3, 2019
Hahahaha excellent takedown.
— Mike Pierce (@MikePierce170) March 3, 2019
Welcome to the @UFC Askren #SHEESSSSHHH #UFC236
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) March 3, 2019
Ben Askren defeats Robbie Lawler by submission. Looked like he was out but he jumps up right away. Ugh. Crazy stuff. Askren deserves huge credit for coming back from early trouble regardless. #UFC235
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) March 3, 2019
NOOOOOOOOOOOO! Not like that!!!
— Simon Samano (@SJSamano) March 3, 2019
Wow. Can they really rule that as a win?
— Bec Rawlings (@RowdyBec) March 3, 2019
😫😫😫
— David Michaud (@bulldawgUFC) March 3, 2019
WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!? #UFC235
— Mike Jackson, Esq. (@TheTruthJackson) March 3, 2019
Holy poop!! that was the most intense round of the year! Welcome @Benaskren #ufc235
— Julian marquez (@JMarquezMMA) March 3, 2019
PPPPPPFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFHHTHTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
— Michael Carroll (@MJCflipdascript) March 3, 2019
🤯😢dammmn. Terrible way to win and a terrible way to lose !
— Chris Weidman (@chrisweidman) March 3, 2019
Good job Herb. Way to fuck up another one. #terrible #UFC235
— Mike Pierce (@MikePierce170) March 3, 2019
Oh nooooo! #UFC235 what a comeback by Askren, my goodness but Lawler was NOT out! Wow! #UFC235
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) March 3, 2019
“Herb” Dean #UFC235 pic.twitter.com/VP1FiXDDf0
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) March 3, 2019
How does your arm drop like that if your not out tho? I dunno. I think he was out a second and came back
— David Rickels (@TheCaveman316) March 3, 2019
Askren knew Lawler wasn't out. Look at how long he holds the choke when Herb puts hands on him; Askren's a lot of things, but a dirty athlete ain't one of them. No way he holds on with Herb tellins him to break if he had any thought Lawler wasn't conscious.
— Jordan Breen (@jordanbreen) March 3, 2019
i would sub Ben Askren in 20 seconds…
— Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) March 3, 2019
Brutally bad stoppage . That’s hurtful. #UFC235
— Sean O'Connell (@realOCsports) March 3, 2019
Fucking bullshit… @Ruthless_RL got robbed… what a fucking joke #UFC234 #ufc
— Nik Lentz (@NikLentz) March 3, 2019
I love @HerbDeanMMA. He realizes he messed up and admits it. A real man. And I would have made the same mistake, I thought he was out too. #UFC235
— Marcus Kowal (@MarcusKowal) March 3, 2019
Congrats @Benaskren crazy comeback! Respect!
— Douglas Lima (@PhenomLima) March 3, 2019
I thought Robbie was out too…but it looked like his left hand never let go of the ankle. He wasn't out.
— David Michaud (@bulldawgUFC) March 3, 2019
#UFC235 results: @BenAskren def. Robbie Lawler via technical submission (bulldog choke) – Round 1, 3:20
Full play-by-play: https://t.co/VhubKoMI4t pic.twitter.com/xw9rgrErPo
— MMAjunkie (@MMAjunkie) March 3, 2019
#UFC235 results: @BenAskren survives vicious onslaught, earns controversial stoppage over Robbie Lawler https://t.co/9hzomUAShV
— MMAjunkie (@MMAjunkie) March 3, 2019
For complete coverage of UFC 235, check out the UFC Events section of the site.
