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Is Ben Askren retiring? Not yet, he still has to beat up UFC champ Georges St. Pierre

The UFC 167 main event will determine which welterweight is the best 170-pound fighter in the world. Or will it?

Bellator MMA

Wipe your brow, nervous little Nelly, Ben Askren is staying put.

But where the current former Bellator MMA Welterweight Champion will fight next, remains to be seen. He's "talking" to the folks at Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), but it's hard to gauge how restrictive his previous employer will be when it comes to finding work elsewhere.

Always bet a horse by its record.

Askren (12-0) watched his contract expire following a technical knockout win over Andrey Koreshkov last July. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney said he wasn't interested in re-signing the former Olympian because his "Funky" style is "not for everyone."

In other words, he "tapped out."

Fellow teammate and current UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis told reporters that Askren was considering retirement after finding himself in limbo; however, the two-time NCAA champion was quick to reassure mixed martial arts (MMA) fans (via Twitter) that he was not calling it quits until be defeats UFC 170-pound kingpin Georges St. Pierre.

If the fight ever comes to fruition, according to this scouting report, "Rush" would get tired and lose. To think otherwise, especially when it comes to wrestling inside the cage, is INSANE.

For now, it's nothing more than fantasy matchmaking, considering Askren is (temporarily) unemployed and St. Pierre is trying to stave off the bearded stylings of Johny Hendricks at next month's UFC 167 pay-per-view (PPV) event in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The winner will be the best welterweight in UFC ... but will they be the best in the world? We may not know for sure until Askren signs his name on the dotted line.

Or retires.


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