Ben Askren is set to finally make his long-awaited UFC debut on Saturday night when he takes on the former champion, Robbie Lawler at UFC 235. Askren will be fighting at 170 pounds, but he believes he could be fight at 165-pounds sooner rather than later.

While UFC President Dana White has denied plans for a 165-pound division on numerous occasions, Askren isn’t buying it. He believes the UFC has already decided to launch the division. Why? Because White denied it.

“There is going to be [a 165-pound division]. Not that soon, I don’t feel like it’s that soon,” Askren told MMA Fighting. “It’s already done. Sure, listen I have been telling everyone this… Dana said there would never be a women’s division, didn’t he? And there is. We can go with 15 other things that Dana have said that have now happened. What I have found is the harder he pushes against something the more likely it is to happen. For whatever reason, he feels this need to have this veil of secrecy but people see right through it. It is hilarious because people see right through it. The harder he says something, for me it is that more likely to happen.”

Are you with Ben Askren on this one? Do you think there will be a 165-pound division in the UFC in the future?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 2/28/2019.