Ben Askren’s history with Kamaru Usman goes all the way back to their time together at the Olympic Training Center in the early 2010’s, fresh off Usman’s run as an NCAA DII national champion and just as Askren was making the transition away from his Olympic career into MMA. And while there may not have been any beef between them back in the day, it seems that version of Usman – “Marty from Nebraska” – has firmly imprinted itself in Askren’s memory as his vision of the current welterweight champion.
The former Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight title holder (and brief UFC contender) spoke to ESPN about the upcoming championship bout between Usman and challenger Jorge Masvidal.