Ben Askren picks Jorge Masvidal as 2019 'Fighter of Year': 'Unfortunately, I think he deserves it'

It might have been hard for Ben Askren to admit, but Jorge Masvidal is his ‘Fighter of the Year.’

Askren was infamously on the receiving end of one of the greatest knockouts of all time when he was starched by Masvidal’s flying knee in a record-breaking five seconds at UFC 239.

The knockout was one of three stoppage wins for Masvidal in 2019. He also went into hostile territory as a betting underdog to take out Darren Till in the second round in London, and produced a striking clinic against Nate Diaz at UFC 244 to capture the “BMF” title by doctor’s stoppage.

Giving credit where it’s due, Askren agrees with many that Masvidal had a spectacular 2019.

“I’d like to pick Israel Adesanya over him, but I think – I feel like that would be disingenuous,” Askren told ESPN. “If I have to look at it from a non-biased perspective, it’s freakin’ Jorge, and if you said that was going to happen a year ago, everyone would have said ‘You’re on drugs,’ or have some type of issue. But unfortunately, I think he deserves it.”

Askren engaged in a lot of pre-fight antics with Masvidal, and ultimately paid a heavy price for it. But the former Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight champion, who recently announced his retirement from MMA, said he had no hard feelings toward “Gamebred.”

“It doesn’t hurt me. That’s what it is – that’s the truth. That’s the reality of the situation: It doesn’t hurt at all,” Askren said. “Now, does it feel good? No, it doesn’t feel good, either. But it’s not … that’s what happened.”