LAS VEGAS -- After an endless saga of trash talk in the buildup to the fight, Jorge Masvidal's brief and violent statement provided more than enough closure.
Masvidal (34-13) set a UFC record by needing just five seconds to remove Ben Askren (19-1, 1 NC) from his senses on Saturday during their welterweight bout at UFC 239 inside T-Mobile Arena.
After starting the bout with his hands pinned behind his back, Masvidal sprinted across the cage to attempt a leaping right knee that caught Askren to the head just as he shot in for an immediate takedown.
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As referee Jason Herzog dove on top of an unconscious Askren to signal the end of the fight, Masvidal unleashed all of the emotion that had fueled the bad blood between them in recent months. He fell to his knees and pounded the mat next to Askren's head in an attempt to wake him up.
OH MY GOD MASVIDAL STARCHES ASKREN IN 5 SECONDS!!!#UFC239 pic.twitter.com/8oWeqSIBhW
— UFC (@ufc) July 7, 2019
After being restrained by security, Masvidal dramatically fell down to his side to make fun of Askren's knockout defeat.
"I really wanted to beat his ass for 14 minutes and 55 seconds but it didn't happen," Masvidal said. "Whatever. I don't have anything nice to say about Ben Askren so my mother said if you don't than not to say anything at all."
Although he began his post-fight speech by being humble and thanking both God as well as his American Top Team coaches and teammates for getting him to this point, it didn't take long for Masvidal to pile on again.
"He's a bum," Masvidal said. "That dude was talking wild, man. I had to show him that there's consequences sometimes. There's some bad motherf---ers out there, you don't want to wake them up.
"You guys are welcome for ending that dude."
The red-hot Masvidal scored his second straight exciting finish after knocking out Darren Till in March, and called for a shot at Kamaru Usman's title after the fight.
"I'm coming for that belt. I don't know who I am fighting next or whatnot, but after 16 years in this sport, it's time," Masvidal said.
The 34-year-old Askren needed an extended time to regain consciousness, and looked unsteady as he was helped out of the cage following the disastrous defeat.
Masvidal planned on utilizing the knee all week, as interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier wrote on Twitter that his coach Mike Brown showed him video of Masvidal practicing the knee throughout training camp. Masvidal noted in the post-fight press conference that Askren fell for the bait when he ducked his head for a takedown attempt.
For complete results from UFC 239, click here