Ben Askren: 'I might not like Jorge Masvidal, but I hope he has 'an enjoyable retirement'

Ben Askren kept his words classy about Jorge Masvidal’s retirement.

Masvidal (35-17 MMA, 12-10 UFC) hung up his gloves after a fourth-consecutive loss this past Saturday at UFC 287, a unanimous decision to Gilbert Burns in the co-main event at Kaseya Center in Masvidal’s hometown of Miami.

Prior to his losing skid, Masvidal enjoyed an incredible 2019, which included a UFC-record 5-second knockout of Askren. Masvidal was hoping a win over Burns would earn him a title shot, and Askren admits he expected more out of “Gamebred.”

“I thought Masvidal was going to come ready to fight harder,” Askren said on Daniel Cormier’s YouTube channel. “I think he looked a little bit out of shape. … Jorge got really tired as the fight went on and in the third round Gilbert was just tagging him so many times.”

Past feud aside, Askren gave Masvidal, 38, some praise and wished him nothing but the best.

“You know what? As much as I think Masvidal annoys me sometimes, I mean, I’ve always said his post-fight speech about a guy who started with nothing and made a lot of money, and he hopes he can inspire someone else to go chase their dreams,” Askren said. “Like, I might not like Jorge Masvidal, but that’s some good stuff. So you know what? I don’t wish anyone poorly. I hope he has an enjoyable retirement.”

Askren, 38, also is retired from MMA. Following his first-career loss to Masvidal, Askren was submitted by Demian Maia in October 2019, marking his final MMA fight. He then returned to action for a boxing match against YouTube star Jake Paul in April 2021, but the standout wrestler was knocked out in Round 1.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 287.