Askren: Hendricks a ‘pathetic’ excuse maker
Ben Askren: “People are finally getting to see what I’ve known about Johny Hendricks for more than a decade: his pathetic excuses.”
ONE Championship welterweight champion Ben Askren has known of top UFC welterweight contender Johny Hendricks, since Askren wrestled for the University of Missouri and Hendricks wrestled for rival Oklahoma State over a decade ago. UFC welterweight Tyron Woodley was a teammate of Askren’s. When Hendricks missed weight for a fight with Woodley at UFC 192, citing intestines dried up from deer meat, Askren was not impressed,ion.
People are finally getting to see what I’ve known about Johny for more than a decade: his pathetic excuses, said Askren to MMAjunkie Radio.
You were 26 frickin’ pounds over on Monday (before the fight. What in the world does deer meat have to do with it?
For me, it was terrible to see Tyron robbed of an opportunity to show what he has because fighters only get to fight two or three times a year, so when you have one of those opportunities essentially stolen from you, that’s a hard thing to deal with.”
The story may have a happy ending, with Woodley tentatively scheduled to get a shot at the winner of division champion Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit at UFC 195 on Jan. 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ben Askren fights Luis Santoson Nov. 14 at ONE Championship 34 in Singapore, streaming via online pay-per-view.
UFC officials scrapped the bout, scheduled as UFC 192’s co-headliner, just one day before the pay-per-view event at Houston’s Toyota Center. Hendricks’ manager told MMAjunkie that the fighter suffered an intestinal blockage that led to a kidney stone.
As the result of the short-notice cancellation, Woodley is tentatively slotted to receive a title shot against the winner of an upcoming bout between champ Robbie Lawler and former interim champ Carlos Condit, which fight at UFC 195 on Jan. 2 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Then again, Askren is used to speaking up for his friends. The ONE champion doesn’t really stay quiet for anybody. And if it’s about someone he doesn’t like, well, you’re going to hear what he has to say.
For more on ONE Championship 34, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.
(14-0), who rematches