It sounds as though Ben Askren will be thrown directly into the fire when he makes his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut.
Dana White recently weighed in on the historic trade that brought Askren to the UFC from One Championship in exchange for Demetrious Johnson in a brief interview with TMZ Sports.
“We’re still working on [an opponent for Askren’s UFC debut]. Obviously he’s going to come into the welterweight division,” White said. “He’s undefeated, he’s their champion. We’re excited about it. He’s definitely going to fight somebody in the top 5.”
Askren retired from MMA following a 57-second stoppage of Shinya Aoki this past November, but left the door open for a return with the right offer.