Kurtz wrote:REDDzone wrote:Askren will ultimately get his way IMO. Ben said the UFC PR guys told him that his vids/promo materials, etc. were getting by far the most hit on the card, even compared to Woodley and Jones.
Ariel confirmed that it was the same way at ESPN. The stories/vids/interviews, etc. they did on him were getting more clicks than any other fighter.
And that is him fighting a guy that he didn't even antagonize. Wait until he gets matched up with a hothead like Till or Usman. Dana doesn't like Askren but Dana likes money more than he doesn't like Askren.
This was the first Askren fight that I've seen, but for those who've seen more - what's Askren's style like? Does he sort of just smother you like Shields used to, or is he capable of delivering fights that would entertain the average viewer?
Dana and co have been moving away from guys like Shields for a while now. They win but they don't entertain the general audience.
For the most part The UFC is moving away from that smothering style, but Khabib is proof that when it's done with high technique the average fan is interested in a dominant ground game. I have not watched a lot of Askren but my opinion would be that he is a mix between Shields and Khabib. He smothers like Shields, but he's more dominant/stronger, and will take more risk for the finish, like Khabib.
The just bleed crowd won't enjoy him, but they will love his smack talk, so he's an extremely interesting test case/prototype for the UFC. Fans typically love three things. Style, Dominance, and Persona. He is aces in two of those categories. It's my belief that if he's successful in dominant fashion, that coupled with his Troll like Persona, it will make him a superstar regardless of his style and fans will pay to see him. He's already trended higher than Jon Jones and Usman/Woodly for that PPV. That may be because of controversy, but his interviews before and after have as well.
I also think his dad bod will help gain fans. He looks like a regular joe. It's part of the reason Roy Nelson was so popular. In a sport of 12 packs, Askren looks like he rolled off the couch, shook the Doritos off his chest and just dominated guys. That's entertaining.