A majority of fighters anchor their dreams on one day competing for the UFC.

Ben Askren isn’t one of them.

While there was a time where the two-time NCAA Division 1 national champion was interested in facing the biggest names the UFC had to offer, that window has closed. Through his dealings with the largest promotion in the sport, Askren gained a firm understanding the UFC’s intention is not geared toward finding out who truly is the best competitor.

Askren believes the UFC is focused on pushing an angle based on entertainment, and that allowed him to make peace with the situation.

“I know I’m near the end of the road in my career and I’m good with that,” Askren said. “Listen, I made my bid at going to the UFC, and it was spoiled. It wasn’t because my skills weren’t good enough. It was because Dana and Lorenzo had ulterior motives.”

Askren believes the alleged prestige involved with a UFC contract is a smokescreen. In his mind it all comes down to competition, and the ONE Championship title-holder is quite confident how he would fare against the elite of the UFC’s welterweight division.

“I’ve worked out with most of the best welterweights in the world. I have a very good idea where I stand," he said. "I honestly believe I’m the best welterweight in the world because of that. In MMA, there are reasons beyond athletic prowess why you don’t get to prove something. Unfortunately, that may be the case with my career.”

Askren has publicly stated on multiple occasions that he’s more than content to finish out his professional career competing under the ONE banner. The 32-year-old grappling ace has several fights left on his contract, and he has every intention of walking away from the fight game with an unblemished record.

In Askren's mind, there is a ceiling for athletes to compete at the top of their respective games. Like every other sport—and with rare exceptions—fighters are incapable of escaping the clutches of aging. But that does not stop many of them from holding on far past their expiration date.

Askren knows there is very little he can do to change that culture. But he refuses to let it happen to him.

“Very few athletes have been able to hang it up in their prime. They try to hang on too long. I’m not going to be that guy," he said. "I also believe it’s impossible for athletes to effectively compete at the highest level in their late 30’s without the use of performance enhancing drugs.

"That doesn’t happen in other sports. But it happens in MMA, because cheating is rampant here.”

He is also excited to get to the rest of his life beyond MMA. Life after fighting is a concept he feels many of his peers struggle with. Many fighters stay in the cage far longer than they should simply because they don't know any other way to earn money. Others, like the UFC's Urijah Faber and Askren, are preparing for a time when their bodies are no longer their sole tool for earning a living.

“My brother and I have two wrestling academies. I’m already crafting my life past fighting. I’ve been doing that for awhile and I think that’s something every fighter should do," Askren said. "So many get done with fighting and are lost in regard to what comes next.

"I’m excited for the future and comfortable with what my life will be beyond my fight career.”