After the horror that Eddie Alvarez just went through it looks like Bellator has learned a thing or two when it comes to negotiations, they also do not appreciate their Welterweight Champion, Ben Askren, either. According to Bjorn Rebney, Bellator is not interested in making an offer to Ben Askren and keeping him in the family, in part, due to his fighting style. Rebney claimed that if the UFC made an offer they’d look at it, but they aren’t interested in holding anyone else’s career up at this juncture and would likely just let Ben Askren go.
While it isn’t clear if this is just some sort of negotiation technique or if they just don’t like Askren, it is clear that they are looking for a certain type of exciting fighter — which Askren isn’t — and don’t mind letting him slip from their grasp. Askren might not be the most exciting fighter in the world to watch, but he is still developing as a fighter and has the potential to do more than just wet blanket fighters. It should be noted that half of his wins are via stoppage, which really isn’t a bad track record for a wrestler.