Ben Askren Wanted To Headline UFC 233 Against Robbie Lawler Before It Was Cancelled

This week, the Ultimate Fighting Championship made the rare move to scrap a numbered pay-per-view, but incoming welterweight star Ben Askren claims he would have saved it for them.

The promotion announced the cancellation of UFC 233, scheduled for Jan. 26 in Anaheim, California, citing inability to find a suitable headlining act for the event. A champ-versus-champ superfight between flyweight champion Henry Cejudo and bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw was originally scheduled to headline, only to be moved when the UFC’s March card in Brooklyn, New York needed a main event. As a result, several fights that had been scheduled for UFC 233 have been postponed to later events.

One of the bouts to be bumped was the debut of former One Championship and Bellator MMA welterweight champion Askren, who was set to face off against former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler.

Askren, who apparently believes his fight with Lawler would have made a suitable main event, was questioned by ESPN regarding the promotion’s decision to scrap the card.

“I was ready and willing to save the day for my new bosses,” Askren wrote in a text message to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani. “Heck, I’m ready to fight tomorrow. If Robbie needs a little more time get ready to lose to me, so be it. Though I’d be more than happy to fight in Brooklyn and then kick his ass on March 2.”