Wrestling Great Ben Askren Retires From MMA
Long Live The Funky One...
Ben Askren has been long discussed as being one of the very best wrestlers in MMA. His record definitely shows that. Askren was 18-0 when he came to the UFC, and as soon as he arrived he was fed to the divisions very best. Ben always put on a show whether it was the fight itself, or the pre fight trash talk. Ben did it better than most.
Askren debuted in MMA back in 2009. In his decade of MMA he has fought for Bellator, ONE FC, and the UFC. While his UFC career didn’t quite go the way that many expected. How Askren came in and demanded all eyes on him simply by being himself was something to behold. Very few athletes are able to generate the buzz around their fights as Ben Askren.
Although the UFC was definitely looking to keep Ben, sadly his body had a different plan. Askren went on the Ariel Helwani’s MMA show to announce his retirement due to requiring a hip replacement. While Askren wasn’t necessarily planning on retiring, he stated on the show that he wasn’t far off from retirement regardless. Check out the interview with Helwani here:
Look, say what you want about Askren. One thing remains clear, the man is a shining example on how to handle trials and tribulations. Askren was victim to one of the most infamous knockouts of ALL-TIME against Jorge Masvidal back in July. Yet took the loss like no other. Many athletes would disappear, after selling the fight only to be defeated in such a way. Not Ben Askren. Time and Time again he has offered ZERO excuses for his loss, and continually jumped back on the horse.
Keep in mind Askren retired back in 2017, undefeated. He could have easily stayed away from the sport being a Bellator and OneFC champion. Instead the thrill of facing the best lead Askren to the UFC. Dana White and Askren always had a fued throughout the years where Dana labeled Askren “boring”. In typical Askren fashion he landed in the UFC like a meteor, literally when Robbie Lawler dumped him on his head! Askren eventually went on to show his wrestling tenacity to overwhelm Lawler and put his lights out with a bulldog choke.
The good news is that Askren will still be involved with wrestling. In the interview he said that he may consider grappling competitions in the future after he is rested up, but at the very least he will still give back to the sport of wrestling. Askren is one of the most sought after minds on the wrestling mat because of his unusual style and exceptional teaching ability. Check out this quick technique with Retired MMA Legend Ben Askren!
The sprawl is one of the most important techniques in all of wrestling. As you can see from the demo, Askren has an exceptional ability to relay the essential aspects of a successful sprawl. Ultimate Askren Wrestling by Ben Askren is packed with these game changing details. Learn from the best with Ben Askren!