Dana White responds to Ben Askren's criticism on 'Inside MMA,' compares him to Tito Ortiz

Dana White has been no stranger to opponents – be it former fighters, current fighters, rival promotions – taking him on in the media.

Now it appears his latest nemesis is ONE FC welterweight champion Ben Askren. If that wasn’t clear enough a few days ago, White may have made it official on Wednesday night on FOX Sports 1’s “UFC Tonight,” where he responded to Askren’s recent criticisms by comparing him to another of his adversaries, Tito Ortiz.

“I thought Tito (Ortiz) was the dumbest guy I’ve ever met,” White said on the show. “(Askren) is an absolute moron. He gets it. He’s copying everything Tito does. Obviously you get lots of attention if you talk about the UFC, you don’t like me, or whatever your thing is – obviously, you get a lot of attention. He stole that – Tito ought to sue him for stealing that one.”

The rift between White, the UFC’s president, and Askren began when Askren left Bellator MMA as a free agent and entered into brief negotiations with the UFC. Ultimately, the UFC passed and Askren went on to sign with ONE FC, where in August he became the promotion’s 170-pound champion, a title he held with Bellator.

But the back-and-forth between the two was mostly mild until Askren appeared this past Friday on “Inside MMA” on AXS TV. The fighter ultimately wound up criticizing White and the UFC in the interview, saying if he never winds up fighting there, he still can have a successful career.

Askren later was critical of co-host Kenny Rice for the manner in which the interview ended, resulting in an apology from AXS TV. Askren then went on MMAjunkie Radio, where he joked that White may have paid Rice to “make me look like an ass.” That resulted in a response from Rice’s co-host, Bas Rutten, defending the show.

It’s been a quick whirlwind of back-and-forth, with White hitting the latest volley on Wednesday night.

“The reality is, he claims this is where he wants to fight, but the kid won’t shut his mouth,” White said. “And if he’s that happy over in Asia, and that organization is doing so well, then what the hell is he talking about me for? If your life’s so great and you love where you’re fighting, and that Asian organization is just growing leaps and bounds by the day, then it sounds like everything’s going great and going your way – then why are you talking about me and why are you concerned with what’s going on with the UFC? Do your thing.”

Less than a week before Askren’s interview on “Inside MMA,” White said he’d be open to signing Askren to the UFC if he continues to impress in his fighting. At 14-0, he has four straight finishes.