When it comes to amazing wrestlers in mixed martial arts, there are few if any that are better or more dominating than current UFC lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov and former Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight champion, Ben Askren.

Thus making a fight between the two something to salivate over. Whether or not we’ll ever see it come to ition remains to be determined, however.

Askren has expressed interest in the bout, as well as bouts with half of the UFC roster… But for Nurmagomedov, he appears to only have three left in mind before calling it a career. None of which is Askren’s.

Having had to build his record to an impressive 18-0 over the years before getting his chance in the UFC, Askren has finally been acquired by the promotion and will make his debut at UFC 235 opposite Robbie Lawler.

Until Askren can prove his worth in the UFC, Nurmagomedov doesn’t sound all too on the ‘Funky’ one.

“He never in the UFC,” Nurmagomedov told Submission Radio when speaking of Askren. “He has to fight in the UFC first of all. He has to show his levels because I see how someone smash him in ONE FC. Somebody like smashed him in ONE FC. He just signed to the UFC and tried talk, you know.

“But now everybody tries to talk and promote these things, but you have to compete in the UFC, then we’re gonna see his levels.”

On January 29, Nurmagomedov will finally… Or at least presumably be getting his long awaited fine and suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission for his post fight actions at UFC 229 on October 6.

Until that’s squared away, there’s no telling as to what will be next for the Russian Sambo machine.

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 1/25/2019