Ben Askren is concerned for the well-being of Chael Sonnen.
Askren, a former UFC fighter and Bellator champion, believes Sonnen is making a mistake taking a match with Anderson Silva.
Read more: Why Chael Sonnen-Anderson Silva Is A Bigger Freak Show Than Mike Tyson-Jake Paul
Sonnen and Silva will square off for a third time on June 15 in a boxing match. The bout will take place in Brazil under the Spaten Fight Night banner. It is expected to be the retirement fight for “The Spider,” who is now 49 years old.
Askren, though, does not feel as if the age is a question. He discussed the bout on “Funky and The Champ” with Daniel Cormier recently.
“Chael, I love you,” Askren said (thanks to MMA Mania for the quotes). “I don’t know why you’re boxing. At least when I took my boxing fight, I thought (Jake Paul) sucked.
“I really don’t know why Chael’s doing it. Anderson is a very good striker. He’s actually had multiple boxing matches.”
Has Chael Sonnen Made A Giant Mistake?
Silva and Sonnen had a pair of memorable fights while competing for the UFC middleweight belt. Silva earned a come-from-behind submission win in 2010 and finished Sonnen again two years later.
Since that time, he has left MMA and competed three times in the boxing ring as a pro. In 2022, he lost a decision to Paul after reeling off three straight wins.
Silva earned a split decision over Chavez and finished Tito Ortiz in 2021. He also had two bouts prior to in 2005 and 1998.
Sonnen, meanwhile, made a name for himself with his toughness and wrestling. The latter of which will not help him with boxing gloves on in a boxing ring.
