It’s no secret that Jorge Masvidal isn’t Ben Askren’s biggest fan.
The two came face-to-face in a formal setting for the first time at Thursday’s media day, but a brief run-in occurred behind the scenes at the fighter hotel, as well. And it just so happened Askren’s crew was present for it while recording for his UFC 239 video blog series.
Although Masvidal (33-13 MMA, 10-6 UFC) claimed during several pre-fight interviews that Askren (19-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) “froze up” and didn’t have the “same energy” compared to his online presence, the former Bellator and ONE Championship titleholder seemed rather calm through the interaction.
Watch the video (via Twitter):
Askren has made all kinds of headlines prior to UFC 239. From his gift of the gab to his controversial stoppage win over Robbie Lawler in his UFC debut at UFC 235, “Funky” has made his mark on the UFC in short order. He’s also been handling the majority of the media leading into his much-anticipated welterweight bout vs. Masvidal.
Masvidal, meanwhile, has refrained from doing any media at all, up until his obligations during fight week. He’s also made plenty of headlines of his own since brutal knockout over Darren Till in London, followed by his backstage altercation with Leon Edwards.
Despite there being two title fights this Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Askren vs. Masvidal has captured much of the event’s notoriety leading up to UFC 239, which airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
For more on UFC 239, check out the UFC schedule.
