While there were plenty of talking points after Saturday night’s UFC 239 event in Las Vegas, the fight that had everyone buzzing was Jorge Masvidal against Ben Askren in which Masvidal knocked out the previously undefeated Askren in five seconds with a flying knee to the face as the fight opened.
It was a record-breaking knockout, and one of the great tactical gambles ever taken in the Octagon. Masvidal and his camp knew Askren, an Olympic wrestler, would be looking for an early takedown and decided to take the risk on going for the flying knee, banking on Askren ducking his head at the start of the fight. Masvidal has been basking in the glow of his win, rightfully so, in the days since as he and Askren had quite the war of words leading up to the fight that resulted in one of the best knockout videos in UFC history.
On Thursday, Masvidal was in Miami to join The Dan Le Batard Show in studio, and at some point he and Stugotz went out to the park across from the studio so a shirtless Stugotz could demonstrate how to properly avoid getting knocked out in a hysterical video.
This just happened. A shirtless @Stugotz790 took on Jorge Masvidal in the “Octagon.” pic.twitter.com/3hlxcy0Y36
— Cork Gaines, Ph.D. (@CorkGaines) July 11, 2019
It is just spectacular television content, but I can’t imagine how bizarre this had to have been for the radio audience who just had Dan and Mike Ryan’s commentary to go off of. Stugotz chasing Masvidal around the park wildly is a delight as well.
Askren won’t be living this knockout down any time soon, at least until he gets some form of redemption in the Octagon. As for Masvidal, he’s going to be enjoying his victory lap for as long as he can and it’s hard to blame him.
