Ben Askren vs Jake Shields

No disrespect to Funky Ben, but he’s one of the biggest “what if”s in MMA history. We’ll never know his ceiling.
 
Shields is probably bigger and stronger at 170 than Askren. I think that gives him the edge in a hypothetical matchup.

I would love to see it, even today. That training video is cool, probably almost as good as the actual fight would be haha.

I would also love to see Askren vs Maia or Askren vs Palhares.
 
Shields a striker? LOL!! that fight "IF" would stay on the feet would look like Ronda sparring boxing with another Ronda...shit
You do realize Jake use to teach at Fairtex Muay Thai San Francisco? The main Fairtex gym when it was in America.. As did Gilbert. Diaz bros, Faber, Castillo, Terrell, Irvin, Cariaso, JB, Smith, etc etc.. use to train there along side Jake.. hence TAM, Fight and Fitness, Diaz Academy, CSA, KOA, and El Nino have the old Fairtex trainers, teaching. All of those men actually have very very good Thai Boxing skill set in a Muay Thai fight, but don't use the skill set much, beside Irvin, JB and Cariaso, being the others use a more "grapple heavy" initially or "boxing style" first, in mma.
 
This video is soooo old that it's totally irrelevant,not that rolling is super relevant anyway.As for the fight who gives a shit unless it's happening which it isn't.
Its relevent because TS asked about their prime.. yet this video is from that time, being Ben use to train with Cesars at times.. which is well known to anybody who's been around mma for awhile.
 
There was a video of them grappling together and Shields was making Askren work and pretzeling him.

If I can find it I'll post it.


Anyway...this wouldn't be a ground fight. I don't believe Askren would want it there and Jake would have the hardest time taking him down.

Was a good vid, it's posted ITT. But it's also a long ass time ago. Ben's till young in that vid. IMO, Askren would want every fight on the ground with him on top. He said he barely trains striking, quit that years ago as it was pointless to him.

Match-up wise, if you look at Shields/Maia both were hitting takedowns but Jake was able to get on top, which made a big difference. I'd go with Askren since while Maia's got elite control, he's not strong enough to stay as heavy on top.
 
Its relevent because TS asked about their prime.. yet this video is from that time, being Ben use to train with Cesars at times.. which is well known to anybody who's been around mma for awhile.

This is from 2009 or 2010 while Shields was arguably in his prime and Ben started fighting in 2009 and that was his prime?Use your brain dude.I'm going to assume you didn't know the video was that old so i'll give you a pass but don't act like Ben was in his prime when he just started fighting especially his BJJ.

"being Ben use to train with Cesars at times.. which is well known to anybody who's been around mma for awhile"

I watched UFC 1 on PPV and been a big fan since so I don't need a lesson from someone who doesn't even know when the video is from.I watched this when it happened and remembered it clearly,Ben was still a noob to mma just an amazing wrestler.
 
Did you see GSP vs Sheilds?

Kinda like that, except Askren likely gets the finish.
 
It’s hard to say but Shields is much more proven against top talent so I’ll go with him. Askren hasn’t done much as of late except crush cans.

All I know is this fight would be a snoozer.
 
Jake tears a strip off of Benny
 
I'd think whoever gets on top wins and askren is the better wrestler so that will likely be him
 
Shields by being far superior striker. And great scrambler.

Far superior striker? I wouldn't go that far.

On the original question, it could be the most boring fight since Shamrock-Severn. Ok that's exaggerating.... but not by much
 
At least in training he'd subbed Askren wherever he wanted while Askren couldn't do the same.

Wow. I have never seen that video before. Amazing scrambles and escapes. 2 of the best grapplers. That was f'ing awesome. Thanks for posting that
 
The correct answer is Marcelo Garcia.
Askren would smash the life out of Garcia in an MMA fight. People look at video of Askren, a wrestler playfully rolling with BJJ guys and say "he would get beat by these guys in MMA since they are subbing him in their sport". This is as silly as those that think Mayweather would beat Conor in MMA, since he beat him in boxing. Heck, even Khabib lost a grappling match to some journeyman BJJ blackbelt, as it is simply a different sport, there is no punching and there are different rules with different skillsets translating differently to the different sports.
 
Askren would smash the life out of Garcia in an MMA fight. People look at video of Askren, a wrestler playfully rolling with BJJ guys and say "he would get beat by these guys in MMA since they are subbing him in their sport". This is as silly as those that think Mayweather would beat Conor in MMA, since he beat him in boxing. Heck, even Khabib lost a grappling match to some journeyman BJJ blackbelt, as it is simply a different sport, there is no punching and there are different rules with different skillsets translating differently to the different sports.

Calm down big guy, the reference was obviously pure grappling. Btw, Funky wasn't "playfully" rolling with MG, he was trying to survive in the deep end, the whole time. Just to remind you, and others...

Check out 6:35.

 
Why are people still talking about Ben Askren?

Dude passed on fighting the best in favor of being a bitter neckbeard in Southeast Asia.
 
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