Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren is the biggest name free agent in mixed martial arts right now, and his fighting future is up in the air at this time.
Askren (12-0) is out of his exclusive negotiating rights period with Bellator MMA and can receive offer from other organizations.
However, the UFC has not made a contract offer to the undefeated fighter, mostly due to the matching rights that Bellator MMA has until next year.
Bellator MMA Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney recently stated that the organization would let Askren go if the UFC gave him an immediate title shot. The UFC have not taken Bellator MMA up on that offer and Rebney told TheMMAReport.com on Friday night following Bellator 105 that they are attempting to sign Askren to a new contract.
“We are, we have had a lot of conversations with Ben,” Rebney said. “I have been talking to him ever since the UFC said they have no interest. I went back and started talking to Ben and we will see. It’s a business and sometimes you can make business deals happen and something you can’t. We are talking to him and we will see where it goes.”
With Bellator MMA having matching rights until July of next year, Askren will have to decide whether he wants to sit out another nine months for a contract offer from the UFC, or sign a new deal with Bellator MMA. If he decides to sign a new contract with Bellator MMA, he would likely return at the beginning of 2014 to face season eight tournament winner Douglas Lima.