Issue 116
July 2014
Fighting your teammates is a taboo subject in MMA, so FO stages its own three-round, 15-question face-off. Roufusport training partners Ben Askren and Sergio Pettis go head to head in our imaginary Octagon.
Round 1: AROUND THE OCTAGON
What age did you start training?
Askren: “I was 25 when I started training in mixed martial arts.”
Pettis: “I started training when I was 12.”
Favorite move to end a fight?
Askren: “Any kind of choke.”
Pettis: “That has to be a head-kick knockout.”
Toughest opponent faced?
Askren: “That would have to be Douglas Lima.”
Pettis: “Jimmy Jones, who I fought in the RFA. That fight showed me how tough I am.”
‘Fight of the Night’ or early TKO?
Askren: “Early TKO, for sure.”
Pettis: “I’d say early TKO.”
How many ‘...of the Night’ bonuses have you had?
Askren: “None. I’ve fought my entire career in Bellator which doesn’t have them.”
Pettis: “I’ve had one ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus so far.”
9-10 – Pettis manages to scrape a tight first round against Askren
Round 2: PERSONAL LIFE
What car do you drive?
Askren: “A Prius.”
Pettis: “I own a 2011 Jeep Wrangler.”
Do you have any higher education?
Askren: “I have a bachelor’s degree from Mizzou (University of Missouri).”
Pettis: “I never went to college, though I wanted to. I just realized I was better at fighting.”
Do you have any pets?
Askren: “We have an Italian Mastiff, called Gaia.”
Pettis: “No pets.”
How many Twitter/Facebook friends have you got?
Askren: “On Twitter I have over 28,000 followers.”
Pettis: “I’ve got 14,000 on Twitter.”
Who is your hero?
Askren: “My hero is Muhammad Ali.”
Pettis: “Anderson Silva.”
10-9 – Askren’s stubbornness helps him storm back in the second round
Round 3: HAVE YOU EVER. . .
…stolen anything from a hotel?
Askren: “Nope. I have never taken anything from a hotel.”
Pettis: “I’ve stolen some shampoo and stuff when I needed it.”
…dropped food on the floor but eaten it anyway?
Askren: “Of course! I am a man!”
Pettis: “Definitely. I’m a big fan of the 10-second rule.”
…had a crush on a friend’s mother?
Askren: “Nope, never.”
Pettis: “Yeah, some of my friends’ mothers are hot.”
…killed your dinner?
Askren: “Once. I killed frogs and ate their legs.”
Pettis: “Not yet.”
…been caught with porn?
Askren: “Nope.”
Pettis: “I didn’t think I’d been caught, but I actually was (laughs).”
9-10 – Pettis edges Askren in another closely fought round
29-28 – Askren loses his undefeated streak against the scrappy younger Pettis brother.
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