Ben Askren and Kevin Lee trade shots over former training session

Kevin Lee will make his welterweight debut against Rafael dos Anjos next month and if he proves victorious it could setup a ‘fun fight’ with Ben Askren.

“The Motown Phenom” was asked about a future fight with the former Bellator and ONE Champion (Askren) during yeaterday’s UFC Press Conference.

“I said I want to compete against the best,” Lee said (via MMAJunkie). “So, if Ben and me end up meeting, then that’d be some fun. He’s got the curly hair going on, so I might be interested in that. It’s a good little clash of styles.”

After Kevin Lee proclaimed that he would showcase “some real violence” in his upcoming bout with ‘RDA’, it was Askren’s turn on the mic.

“Once upon a time in Milwaukee, a young Kevin Lee showed up at Duke Roufus’ gym,” Askren said. “Duke said, ‘Hey, there’s this young kid, can you work out with him? And it was just too easy to take him down. I start feeling really guilty about it.”

Kevin Lee interjected.

“Your stand-up was so bad that it was like, I didn’t want to hit you that hard,” Lee said. “And you went full blast on a double-leg, as I’m like, touching – Let’s tell the story. If you want to tell the story, speak some truth. If you know me, you know me. But speak facts. Facts when you see it.”

Ben Askren and Kevin Lee were clearly having some fun with their back and forth exchange, which appeared to be no more than friendly banter.

“I didn’t want to disappoint Duke by not having you come back,” Askren said with a laugh.

“I learned a lot, I learned a lot,” Lee admitted. “Like you said, that was a young Kevin Lee. So I learned a lot. That’s going to be fun.”

Ben Askren will return to action at July’s UFC 239 event where he will square off with perennial welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal.

Meanwhile, Kevin Lee will take on former lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos May 18 in Rochester, New York.