Bellator MMA Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney recently stated that he would let welterweight champion Ben Askren go to the UFC with no matching rights if he received a title shot in his first UFC fight.
During his UFC 166 pre-fight media scrum, White was asked about the offer and whether the UFC would be making an offer to Askren.
White told the attending media in Houston that he believed Bellator was playing games, and it was weird that Bellator was willing to let their champion walk.
“They’re playing f***ing games,” White said. “I don’t care what they’re doing. It doesn’t matter to me. I don’t give a s**t what they’re doing. They don’t matter and I don’t care. When you’re willing to let your f***ing champion go, it’s weird.”
Askren (12-0) became a free agent earlier this year after his contract expired following his win over Andrey Koreshkov at Bellator 97. He is considered one of the top ten welterweight fighters in the world and has publicly stated how he would like to prove he is the best in the world by facing UFC champion Georges St-Pierre.
With White making the statements he did today in Houston, all signs point to the UFC wanting to wait until Bellator’s matching rights have concluded, which will expire in July of 2014.