Ben Askren

By Joshua Molina

Ben Askren is probably the smartest fighter in MMA today.

The Bellator Welterweight Champ is calling out UFC Welterweight king Georges St-Pierre.

Askren has said he could beat GSP, but  what matters most about his claims is that he is putting himself on GSP’s level, regardless of whether he deserves to be there.

Askren is doing what Bellator so desperately needs to do – call out the UFC and turn the sport into a business war.

Fans like combat inside and outside of the cage. Just like a fight, it’s not enough to lay back and expect to win by fighting defensively.

Bellator must go out and fight the UFC – and make fans believe the UFC is so 2010.

Askren recently challenged GSP to a $1,000 takedown challenge. That’s bold and smart and exactly whay Bellator needs to do if it wants to pull ahead of UFC in the cable wars.

Besides calling out UFC fighters, the single biggest thing Bellator can do to compete with the UFC is to hire play by play commentator Mike Goldberg.

Viacom needs to cut loose with some of its money and steal some of the characters that fans associate with the UFC.

More than any fighter, Bellator should look to throw big bucks at Goldberg, announcer Bruce Buffer, maybe even Joe Rogan.

Askren is doing his part. He’s 11-0, and a year from now, GSP might be the one calling him out.