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Dana White says bringing Ben Askren to the UFC was ‘a great deal for me’

UFC president Dana White wanted to make one thing clear before he went into the details of bringing Ben Askren into his company: He said he doesn’t hate “Funky Ben,” and can’t understand why people would think so, given the unprecedented deal which brought the undefeated former Bellator and ONE welterweight champion into the company.

“We just talked, this guy thinks I hate him,” White said of Askren during the UFC 230 post-fight press conference at New York’s Madison Square Garden. “If I hated you, why would I do this deal? I’m the one who did this deal, I’m the one who came up with this deal.