With the purchase of Strikeforce by Zuffa, Bellator has found itself as the “number two” mixed martial arts promotion in North America. With its own stable of champions, fight fans may wonder how well some of these individuals would do if they were to ever compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Bellator’s welterweight champion, Ben Askren, believes that he is destined to find out.
In recent interviews Askren has stated that he feels he is fated to compete in the UFC, on MMA’s biggest stage. He believes that in that promotion he would be challenged with facing the best of the best. A valiant statement in a sport where some individuals are more worried about their records than facing opponents who could seriously push their limits.
However, this has given rise to a discussion about whether Askren should be so open about his intention to one day leave Bellator. Bellator is the organization that gave him the opportunity to become a full-time mixed martial artist, and eventually a champion. The question of loyalty arises whenever a fighter openly talks about leaving one company for the next. I, for one, do not believe there is such thing as loyalty when it comes to any sport, let alone mixed martial arts.
Ben Askren has his own goals as a MMA fighter. I don’t know what they all are, but from his statements I can gather that he wants to be considered one of the best. In order to do so he has to fight and defeat the best. If Bellator cannot provide him with the top opponents, then he must go to an organization where he can be challenged. I do not have any problem with him taking this course of action. Other professional athletes do the same thing when they leave their native countries to play] in the NHL, NBA or MLB. Why do we need to criticize fighters when they do the same exact thing?
In addition to the idea of being challenged by the best fighters, it would not be surprising if financial considerations play a part in his decision-making as well. As a smaller organization, Bellator would likely be outbid for Askren’s services if the two organizations were to ever compete in free agency. In the end, Askren would be the true winner. MMA is a sport in which fighters can have a very short shelf life. I have no problem with a fighter doing all that he or she can to earn as much money as possible during his or her career.
Loyalty is a very relative term when it comes to sports. Fans and owners do not have to be loyal to athletes in any shape or form. So why do we hold athletes to a higher standard and believe they must embody this virtue? Yankees and Red Sox player swaps, the LeBron James fiasco, and the treatment of Donovan McNabb by some Philadelphia Eagles fans are examples of how loyalty does not exist in sports. I commend Ben Askren for being upfront and direct about his intentions. No one will ever be able to say that they didn’t see it coming if and when he signs with Zuffa. And that’s exactly how it should be.
