Bellator Welterweight champion Ben Askren took time to talk with the guys on BJPENN.com radio. Askren is that rare breed of fighter who is extremely talented and very candid during his interviews. In the first part of the recap we look at Askren’s answers in regards to Bjorn Rebney, Bellator, and possibly fighting in the UFC.

Bjorn Rebney, Bellator, and Eddie Alvarez

Askren has been fighting for Bellator for almost three years, and has been their Welterweight champion since October of 2010. The sport has evolved over the last two years, and Bellator has established them as the second largest MMA promotion in the world.

“I think Bellator is doing great obviously, they are on Bellator 90. No other promotion has made it that far besides the UFC. So, Bellator has already been in it longer than anyone except the UFC, Pretty obviously if they were to call it today, you would call it a success. I think they are really starting to gain some momentum right now. Moving over to Spike the ratings went not just up, WAY up, went from 200,000 to 900,000.”

Loyalty in any professional sport is hard to come by, but when you listen to Askren talk about his employer you can tell where his loyalties lie. He is not just loyal, but a fan of Bellator and its President Bjorn Rebney.

“Bellator has been great to me. I have zero complaints about Bellator. I have been there champion now for forever. I think since Bellator 13. I think Bjorn did a great job bringing the company along.”

When the discussion turned to the battle between Eddie Alvarez and Bellator, Askren made it very clear where he stands on the subject.

“That’s not my situation that’s my manager’s situation to work that out. You know it’s great Bellator is going to keep Eddie (Alvarez).  I don’t know the specifics of that (Alvarez) deal, and if they matched the UFC and they have matching rights it sounds like they did what they needed to do. Eddie needs to start fighting.” Askren went on to say, “I didn’t see the deal so unless I can review the deal point by point. Honestly at this point all of us are just guessing because none of us have seen it. I have no idea what the deal really said.”

Last fight and possibility of moving to the UFC

A lot of fans would place Askren into the boring category, whether it is accurate or not it is how they feel. Then at Bellator 86 he put everyone on notice that his striking has improved leaps and bounds, when he dominated Karl Amoussou. He put such a beating on Amoussou that the Doctor stopped the fight in between rounds 3 and 4.

“It was just a matter of time. I told everyone, I mean when you think about it when I started fighting at Bellator I had been fighting for one year, literally one year. I wrestled my whole life, I picked up jiu-jitsu, but the striking took a little time to sink in and sit with me. I told every single person who wanted to listen that it was only a matter of time before I started hitting harder before I started hitting with more accuracy, and I just made that prediction come true. From here on out it’s only going to get better.“

If this is true and Askren fights like he did against Amoussou, he may be all but unbeatable. Accurate striking and a deadly ground game is a combination that only a few fighters in the world can claim, Askren may have joined those ranks. The conversation moved to his thoughts of fighting in the UFC.

“There will be a point my contract will be up with Bellator. And Bellator will have to put up or shut up, they’re going to have to put their money where their mouth is, and show they are a legitimate threat to the UFC. At that point I’ll be a free agent and obviously I have loyalty to Bellator I’ve been there forever. But part of me still wants to see if I’m the best in the world. I think I can, and will, make a legitimate claim to that eventually.”

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