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Ben Askren could very well be the best welterweight fighter in the world, but the chance to prove that distinction is highly unlikely to materialize. The undefeated king of the grind has been at odds with the UFC for some time, and because of his experience, the ONE Championship welterweight titleholder could appreciate the recent shake up caused by Conor McGregor.

“Notorious” shocked the world earlier this week when he announced his apparent retirement on his Twitter account. The featherweight champion’s move set a dramatic series of events in motion as both fighter and promotion held their ground.

The UFC attempted to control the message, McGregor countered by releasing a statement on Facebook, and the entire MMA community teetered on the edge waiting for the next move to be made. Askren wasn’t initially sold on the beef between McGregor and Zuffa being legit, but his stance shifted once the Irishman’s statement went public.

“Conor is playing the situation great, but I don’t have all the details,” Askren said. “At the beginning I kind of thought the UFC and McGregor were working together on some type of publicity stunt because his tweet drew a lot of eyeballs. I thought it was a charade, but now it is clear both sides are fuming. He’s their biggest draw and he’s taking a stance against them. We’ve never seen that before and I think it’s long overdue.”

Related: Conor McGregor's disdain for UFC obligations no secret

Although Askren appreciates the moxie McGregor is showing in pushing back against the UFC, the “Funky” one isn’t buying what either parties in the feud are selling as the reason for the conflict. Both the UFC and McGregor have pointed to media obligations being the catalyst of the rift, but Askren sees right through that particular smokescreen.

Much like everything else in the realm of professional athletics, Askren believes it all comes down to the almighty dollar.

“I think it’s great because Conor framed his message,” Askren said. “He positioned his stance in a way where the people can get behind him, and we all know it’s not about the damn press conference. At the end of the day it all comes down to money. No one is freaking out about doing a damn press conference 11 weeks away from their fight. It’s about money plain and simple.

“Releasing that statement was a strong move because now the UFC looks petty if they don’t make the fight happen, and Conor is smart enough to realize he may take some short term damage for a long term gain.”

While the former two-time national champion wrestler from the University of Missouri could not care less how the ruckus affected the largest promotion in the sport, Askren was keen to the impact McGregor’s hold out could have on the athletes who compete for the UFC going forward.

“To be totally honest I’ve never really been a Conor McGregor fan until now,” Askren said. “He ducked all of the wrestlers on his way to the top and the UFC helped him do it. Now that this situation has happened it’s clear, whether people realize it or not, he’s using his platform to campaign for the fighters. The power structure between the UFC and the fighters is very heavily swayed in one direction, and this is the first time we’ve seen that challenged. I think it’s a great thing for fighters.”