From the beginning, the deck was stacked against Ben Askren reaching his goal of becoming the best welterweight in the world.
Not the beginning of his time in the UFC. Before that. Back in the fall of 2013, Askren was a free agent, and had publicly expressed his interest in joining the UFC. He wanted to fight in the Octagon, to face Georges St-Pierre, to capture the UFC championship. He wanted to silence the doubters who were skeptical of his abilities despite the undefeated start to his career and the Bellator title he had earned within 20 months of turning pro.