Benjamin Michael AskrenMixed martial arts show results Date: July 6th, 2019
/ref> (born July 18, 1984) is an American former professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

and amateur wrestler. Askren was the former Bellator and ONE Welterweight Champion, remaining undefeated for over a decade before competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

). An accomplished

grappler Grappling, in hand-to-hand combat, describes sports that consist of gripping or seizing the opponent. Grappling is used at close range to gain a physical advantage over an opponent, either by imposing a Grappling position, position or causing ...

, he was the 2008 US

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

Team Member and National champion and the 2005

Pan American Pan-American, Pan American, Panamerican, Pan-America, Pan America or Panamerica may refer to: * Collectively, the Americas: North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean * Something of, from, or related to the Americas * Pan-Amer ...

champion in

freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling ...

, a two–time NCAA Division I national champion (four–time finalist), and three–time

Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...

champion (four–time finalist) for the

Missouri Tigers The Missouri Tigers intercollegiate athletics programs represent the University of Missouri, located in Columbia. The name comes from a band of armed Union Home Guards called the Fighting Tigers of Columbia who, in 1864, protected Columbia fro ...

, and was the second wrestler to secure multiple Dan Hodge Trophies (the wrestling equivalent of the

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...

) in

folkstyle wrestling Collegiate wrestling (also known as folkstyle wrestling) is the form of wrestling practiced at the college and university level in the United States. This style of wrestling, with some slight modifications, is also practiced at high school and mi ...

. He was also a

world champion A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

submission wrestling Submission wrestling, also known as Submission grappling, Submission fighting a form of competition and a general term for martial arts and combat sports that focus on clinch and ground fighting with the aim of obtaining a submission through the ...

Wrestling career

Early career and folkstyle

Askren was introduced to the sport of

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

by his father Chuck at age six, but only took the sport seriously when he started the

sixth grade Sixth grade (or grade six in some regions) is the sixth year of schooling. Students are typically 11–12 years old, depending on when their birthday occurs. Different terms and numbers are used in other parts of the world. It is commonly the firs ...

and joined a club. During

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

, he became a two–time WIAA state champion out of

Arrowhead High School Arrowhead High School is a high school located in Hartland, Wisconsin. Sitting on of land, the school has two campuses, a north campus and a south campus. Juniors and seniors attend the north campus, while freshmen and sophomores attend the south ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. Nationally, he placed in the podium at multiple US National tournaments in

folkstyle Collegiate wrestling (also known as folkstyle wrestling) is the form of wrestling practiced at the college and university level in the United States. This style of wrestling, with some slight modifications, is also practiced at high school and mi ...

, freestyle and

Greco-Roman The Greco-Roman civilization (; also Greco-Roman culture; spelled Graeco-Roman in the Commonwealth), as understood by modern scholars and writers, includes the geographical regions and countries that culturally—and so historically—were di ...

. In

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

, Askren wrestled for the

at 174 pounds, where he was teammates with future

UFC Welterweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

Tyron Woodley Tyron Woodley (born April 17, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He is a former UFC Welterweight Champion who defended his title four times. A professional since 2009, Woodley also competed at Strikeforce and was an NCAA D ...

and future Bellator Lightweight Champion

Michael Chandler Michael Chandler (born April 24, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2009, Chandler first gained n ...

. During his

freshman A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. Ara ...

campaign (2003–2004), Askren won the

Championships and placed second at the NCAA Championships, with both matches being against standout from

Oklahoma State Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

Chris Pendleton Chris Pendleton (born January 21, 1982) is a former American wrestler who competed collegiately for Oklahoma State University. Pendleton won NCAA Division I wrestling titles at 174 pounds in 2004 and 2005 and was a three-time All-American. B ...

. During his sophomore campaign (2004–2005), Askren placed second at both the NCAA and Big 12 Championships, losing both championship matches to Pendleton. After being a runner–up for half of his career, Askren shined as a

junior Junior or Juniors may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959 * ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009 * ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010 * ''Junior'' (LaFontaines album), 2019 Films * ''Junior'' (1994 ...

and a senior, becoming the third athlete to ever earn the

Dan Hodge Trophy The Dan Hodge Trophy is awarded each year to the United States of America’s best college wrestler. The trophy is presented at the end of the season by W.I.N. Magazine (''Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine'') and Culture House. It is the collegiate w ...

in multiple occasions, as he received the award in both seasons after compiling a combined 87–0 record. Throughout his career, Askren defeated multiple NCAA champions such as

Jake Herbert Jake Herbert (born March 6, 1985) is an American amateur wrestler. Herbert won the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials at 84 kg FS and competed in the 2012 Olympics. High school Born in Pittsburgh, Herbert was a Pennsylvania state champion and four-ti ...

and Keith Gavin. After a legendary run, Askren graduated with a 153–8 record (seven of the losses were handled by

and one of them by Ryan Lange), two Dan Hodge Trophies and a

Schalles Award Established in 1999, both Schalles awards, one (the Schalles Award) for the best collegiate pinner in America and the other, (the Junior Schalles Award) for the best scholastic pinner, are annually presented by WIN Magazine, Cliff Keen Athletics and ...

, two NCAA championships, three Big 12 Championships and 91

pins A pin is a device used for fastening objects or material together. Pin or PIN may also refer to: Computers and technology * Personal identification number (PIN), to access a secured system ** PIN pad, a PIN entry device * PIN, a former Dutch de ...

, the third most in

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...

history. One of the most dominant collegiate wrestlers of all time, Askren's "funky" style relied heavily in unorthodox scrambling techniques and was known for his

pinning Pinning may refer to: * Pinning, the effect of certain weapons that cause their targets to be pinned down * Pinning ceremony (nursing), a symbolic welcoming of new graduates into the nursing profession * Pinning force, a force acting on a pinned ...

ability as well as his massive afro. His peculiar and uncommon body shape for a

wrestler Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat sport ...

allowed him to complete moves that his competition could not, thus constantly putting them in awkward positions. On January 9, 2012, it was announced that Askren would be one of six new inductees to the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Universit ...

Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame.

Freestyle

Despite his style relying heavily in

rules, Askren was able to adapt fairly well to

after his graduation from college. After working on adapting his style during 2007, Askren claimed the US National Championship in April and followed up by making the US Olympic Team in June. At the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...

, Askren defeated Hungarian István Veréb via

fall Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southe ...

in the first round, but fell in the quarterfinals to Cuba's Iván Fundora on points. Fundora was then defeated by Russia's

Buvaisar Saitiev Buvaisar Hamidovich Saitiev, also spelled Buvaysar Hamidovich Saytiev, (russian: Бувайсар Хамидович Сайтиев, ce, Сайт КIант Бувайса) (born March 11, 1975, in Khasavyurt, Dagestan ASSR) is a Russian retired f ...

, thus eliminating Askren's chances of competing for a medal. Askren was then asked if inexperience in the new ruleset was a factor, but he responded; "That wasn't it," he said with tears in his eyes, "I just wasn't good enough. I sucked."

Post-Olympic career

Although Askren decided to pursue a career in

MMA Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...

after the Olympics, he continued to compete in wrestling occasionally. In 2010, he avenged his Olympic loss by defeating Fundora in the semifinals of the

Cerro Pelado International United World Wrestling (UWW) is the international governing body for the sport of amateur wrestling; its duties include overseeing wrestling at the Olympics. It presides over international competitions for various forms of wrestling, including ...

in Cuba. This came shortly after Askren won the Dave Schultz Memorial International. Later the same year, Askren defeated 2009 world silver medalist

in a folkstyle rules match at the Midlands Tournament. Askren also competed in the Agon Wrestling Championships and the Flo Premier League. In May 2019, Askren lost by technical superiority to five–time World and Olympic champion

Jordan Burroughs Jordan Ernest Burroughs (born July 8, 1988) is an American freestyle wrestler and former folkstyle wrestler who currently competes at 79 kilograms, and previously competed at 74 kilos. In freestyle, he was the 2012 Olympic gold medalist, is ...

in the annual Beat the Streets benefit event. After spending a little over a year in retirement from his MMA career, Askren announced a successful hip surgery in 2020 and revealed that he intends to return to competitive freestyle wrestling soon.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Askren made his professional MMA debut on February 7, 2009. It was held by Headhunter Productions at the Holiday Inn Select Executive Center in

Columbia, Missouri Columbia is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the county seat of Boone County and home to the University of Missouri. Founded in 1821, it is the principal city of the five-county Columbia metropolitan area. It is Missouri's fourth ...

. He defeated Josh Flowers via TKO early in the first round. Askren had his second fight at Patriot Act 2 in

. He defeated Mitchell Harris via submission by arm triangle. The fight was at a

catchweight A catchweight is a term used in combat sports, such as boxing or mixed martial arts, to describe a weight limit that does not adhere to the traditional limits for weight classes. In boxing, a catchweight is negotiated prior to weigh-ins, which are ...

of 175 pounds.

Grappling

Askren competed at the 2009

ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship The ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship, is an international submission wrestling, submission grappling competition, organised by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC). The inaugural tournament was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 1998. It has been ...

from September 26–27, in Barcelona, Spain. He won his first match against Toni Linden by

arm triangle choke Arm triangle choke, side choke, or head and arm choke are generic terms describing blood chokeholds in which the opponent is strangled in between their own shoulder and the practitioner's arm. This is as opposed to the regular triangle choke, whi ...

. He lost his second match to

Pablo Popovitch Pablo Popovitch (born September 9, 1979) is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, mixed martial artist and a 4th degree black belt under Jorge Popovitch. Biography Pablo Popovitch became involved in BJJ as a 4-year-old. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Pop ...

, a veteran grappler he had trained with the previous summer, by figure four

footlock A leglock is a joint lock that is directed at joints of the leg such as the ankle, knee or hip joint. A leglock which is directed at joints in the foot, is sometimes referred to as a foot lock and a lock at the hip as a hip lock. Leglocks are feat ...

early in the match. Popovitch went on to win the championship in the under 77 kg (169 lb) division. Askren also competed at the 2009

FILA Fila Holdings Corp. is a sportswear brand of shoes and apparel. The company was founded by Ettore and Giansevero Fila in 1911 in Coggiola, near Biella, Piedmont, Italy. In 2003, it was sold to United States-based Sports Brand International. Sub ...

2° World Grappling Championship. Askren faced the 2008 World Champion,

Jacob Volkmann Minnesota Golden Gophers Jacob Joseph Volkmann (born September 5, 1980) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Volkmann has formerly competed for t ...

, in the 84 kg

no-gi Submission wrestling, also known as Submission grappling, Submission fighting a form of competition and a general term for martial arts and combat sports that focus on clinch and ground fighting with the aim of obtaining a submission through the ...

division. Askren out-wrestled Volkmann and won gold in the category.

Bellator Fighting Championships

Askren was a participant in Bellator Fighting Championships

Season 2 Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album) * '' 2econd Season'' See also

* {{disambig ...

Welterweight Tournament. In his first fight, Askren defeated

Ryan Thomas Ryan may refer to: People and fictional characters *Ryan (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) *Ryan (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) Places Australia * Division of Ryan, an electo ...

via technical submission at

Bellator 14 2010 in Bellator MMA was the second installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started on April 8, 2010 and ended June 24, 2010. Tournaments were held in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and m ...

on April 15, 2010. The outcome of the fight was controversial because Thomas protested the stoppage as soon as Askren released the choke. After

Jim Wallhead Jim Wallhead (born 14 March 1984) is an English professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division. He has competed for BAMMA, Bellator, and M-1 Challenge and the UFC . Wallhead is a member of Team Rough House and Le ...

was pulled from the tournament, Thomas was given another chance to compete. Thomas defeated Jacob McClintock by TKO in the first round at

Bellator 15 2010 in Bellator MMA was the second installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started on April 8, 2010 and ended June 24, 2010. Tournaments were held in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and m ...

and was awarded a rematch with Askren. When the two fought at

Bellator 19 2010 in Bellator MMA was the second installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started on April 8, 2010 and ended June 24, 2010. Tournaments were held in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and ...

, Askren came out victorious again with a unanimous decision after controlling Thomas with

for three rounds. At

Bellator 22 2010 in Bellator MMA was the second installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started on April 8, 2010 and ended June 24, 2010. Tournaments were held in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and ...

, Askren defeated

Dan Hornbuckle Dan Hornbuckle (born December 26, 1980) is a former American mixed martial artist and a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee tribe. A professional since 2006, Hornbuckle has competed for Bellator, Legacy FC, World Victory Road, and DEEP. ...

via unanimous decision with his superior wrestling dominating Hornbuckle for all three rounds, becoming the Bellator Season Two Welterweight Tournament Champion. On October 21, 2010 in Philadelphia Askren took on the Bellator Welterweight Champion

Lyman Good Lyman Merrill Good (born May 26, 1985), also known as "American Cyborg", is an American mixed martial artist. He is perhaps best known for his time spent with Bellator, where he was the inaugural Bellator Welterweight Champion. Good currently co ...

. Despite being hit with a brutal upkick and almost getting caught in a triangle choke with one minute left, he was able to take down and control Good in every round. Askren won via unanimous decision (49–46, 48–47, and 50–45) to win the Bellator Welterweight Championship. Askren next returned at

Bellator 40 2011 in Bellator MMA was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: Welterweight, Lightweight and Feathe ...

to fight and defeat Nick Thompson after taking down and controlling Thompson for all three rounds. Although Askren started off quickly in the third round with a spinning back fist and several other strikes, he was caught with an overhand right by Thompson, causing Askren to take down and control Thompson for the remainder of the round. Askren went on to win by unanimous decision (30–26, 30–27, and 30–27). Following his unanimous decision win over Thompson in a non-title affair at

Newkirk, Oklahoma Newkirk is a city and county seat of Kay County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,172 at the 2020 census. History Newkirk is on land known as the Cherokee Outlet (popularly called the "Cherokee Strip"), which belonged to the Chero ...

, Askren revealed that he was moving to

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

to train under

Duke Roufus Jeffrey Ryan "Duke" Roufus (born February 19, 1970) is an American former kickboxer and head coach of the Roufusport based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. He is a well-known striking coach in North America. Career Duke Roufus started t ...

Roufusport Roufusport (also known as Roufusport MMA Academy) is a mixed martial arts gym based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Known as one of the top gyms in MMA, it has produced two former UFC champions, Anthony Pettis (former UFC Lightweight Champion) and Tyro ...

. Askren successfully defended his title against season 4 welterweight tournament winner

Jay Hieron James Thomas Hieronymus (born July 29, 1976) is an American actor, stuntman and former mixed martial artist. Hieron was the final IFL Welterweight Champion, competing for the Los Angeles Anacondas, and has also competed in the UFC, WEC, Affli ...

at Bellator 56 following a close split decision. Askren successfully defended his title against season 5 welterweight tournament winner

Douglas Lima Douglas Lima (born 5 January 1988) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the welterweight division of Bellator MMA, where he is a former three-time Bellator Welterweight Champion. He is also the former MFC Welterweight Champion. ...

Bellator 64 2012 in Bellator MMA was the sixth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships, which began on March 9, 2012. The sixth season of Bellator was originally scheduled to begin on March 2, 2012. However, the debut was pushed back a week so ...

on April 6, 2012, on Good Friday at the Caesars in Windsor, Canada. Next for Askren was a title defense against

Karl Amoussou Karl Amoussou (born November 21, 1985) is a French-German professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Welterweight division of Cage Warriors, where he is the current Welterweight Champion. A professional competitor since ...

, the fight taking place at Bellator 86 on January 24, 2013. Askren once again used his top control wrestling to shut down his opponents

grappling Grappling, in hand-to-hand combat, describes sports that consist of gripping or seizing the opponent. Grappling is used at close range to gain a physical advantage over an opponent, either by imposing a position or causing injury. Grappling i ...

, and opened a cut on Amoussou's forehead with an elbow strike. The doctor stepped in between the third and fourth rounds, judging the cut too severe for Amoussou to continue. In the final fight of his contract, Askren faced tournament winner

Andrey Koreshkov Andrey Andreevich Koreshkov ( Russian: Андрей Андреевич Корешков, born August 23, 1990) is a Russian mixed martial artist who competes in the welterweight division of Bellator MMA. He is the former Bellator Welte ...

Bellator 97 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight ch ...

. He dominated the fight with his wrestling and ground strikes, outstriking his opponent by a wide 248 to 3 margin before winning via TKO in the fourth round. On November 14, 2013, following a negotiation period, Bellator announced they had released Askren from the company, and that he was now an unrestricted free agent.

ONE Championship

On December 9, 2013, Askren signed a two-year/six-fight contract with

ONE Championship ONE Championship (formerly ONE Fighting Championship) is a Singaporean combat sports promotion. Founded on 14 July 2011 by entrepreneur Chatri Sityodtong and former ESPN Star Sports senior executive Victor Cui, its events have featured mixed ...

. Askren met Bakhtiyar Abbasov, who had been riding a nine-fight win streak, in the main event of ONE FC: Honor and Glory on May 30. He won the fight via submission (arm-triangle choke) in the first round, and proceeded to call out ONE champion Nobutatsu Suzuki, stating "Suzuki is going to bring me my belt. He can put it in the middle of the cage and give it to me, or I can take it the hard way!” Askren faced Suzuki at ONE Fighting Championship: Reign of Champions on August 29, 2014. He won the fight via TKO due to strikes in the first round to become the new ONE Welterweight Champion. Askren faced Luis Santos in the main event at

: Valor of Champions on April 24. The fight was ruled "no contest" after an accidental eye poke from Askren at 2:19 of round 1 rendered Santos unable to continue. In the next fight Askren beat Russia's Nikolay Aleksakhin at the ONE Championship: Global Warriors on April 15, 2016 by unanimous decision. Askren then fought Agilan Thani at the ONE Championship: Dynasty of Heroes on May 26, 2017. He won the fight via submission due to an arm-triangle choke in the first round. Askren then faced Zebaztian Kadestam at the ONE Championship: Shanghai on September 7, 2017. He won the fight via TKO due to punches. Askren then faced fellow veteran Shinya Aoki at ONE Championship: Immortal Pursuit on November 24, 2017. Prior to the bout, he claimed this would be his last fight. He won the fight via TKO due to punches early in the first round. He retired from the sport after the win. Askren left the door open for one last match if he was made an offer to "prove I'm the best welterweight in the world". He discussed the possibility of facing

Georges St-Pierre Georges St-Pierre (; born May 19, 1981) is a Canadian actor and former professional mixed martial artist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) history. St-Pierre was a two-division champion in the Ult ...

, claiming "He doesn't want a title fight. He just wants to build on his legacy," adding that he felt he would be the perfect opponent for St. Pierre. The contest never materialized.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

On November 3, 2018, it was announced that the

had signed Askren under the "trade UFC and One Championship agreement", in exchange for former UFC Flyweight Champion

Demetrious Johnson Demetrious Johnson (born August 13, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist. He currently competes in ONE Championship, where he is the current ONE Flyweight Champion (135 lb). He is the inaugural and former UFC Flyweight Champion. Known fo ...

. Askren made his UFC debut against the former

Robbie Lawler Robert Lawler (born March 20, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist who has been competing since 2001. He is the former UFC Welterweight Champion, former EliteXC Middleweight Champion, and has formerly competed in Strikeforc ...

on March 2, 2019 at

UFC 235 ''UFC 235: Jones vs. Smith'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on March 2, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. Background A UFC Light Heavyweigh ...

. The bout was initially scheduled for

UFC 233 ''UFC 233'' was a planned mixed martial arts event that was rescheduled to be held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 26, 2019 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The promotion initially announced on December 12, 2018 that t ...

, but after the event was cancelled the fight was rescheduled for UFC 235. Askren won the fight via bulldog choke in the first round, through a controversial stoppage by referee Herb Dean. Replays appear to show Lawler's arm going limp and giving a thumbs up right after, which some attribute to Lawler slipping in and out of consciousness. Although controversial, Nevada Athletic Commission executive director Bob Bennett explained that the commission had "no problem" with Dean's decision to stop the fight. Askren faced long–time veteran

Jorge Masvidal Jorge Masvidal (born November 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Masvidal has been competing professionally since 2003; h ...

on July 6, 2019, at

UFC 239 ''UFC 239: Jones vs. Santos'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on July 6, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. Background A UFC Light ...

. Leading up to the match, Askren utilized heavy

trash-talk Trash talk is a form of insult usually found in sports events, although it is not exclusive to sports or similarly characterized events. It is often used to intimidate the opposition and/or make them less confident in their abilities as to win ...

as usual. He was knocked out with a flying knee five seconds into the first round, the fastest knockout in UFC history, ending his undefeated run. Askren faced ADCC World Champion and MMA veteran

Demian Maia Demian Maia (born 6 November 1977) is a Brazilian professional submission grappler and mixed martial artist. He competed in both the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Maia is regarded as one ...

on October 26, 2019, at

UFC on ESPN+ 20 ''UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 162'' or '' UFC on ESPN+ 20'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 26, 2019 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in ...

, and lost the fight via technical submission in round three. This fight earned him the '' Fight of the Night'' award. On November 18, 2019, Askren announced his official retirement from

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

competition.

Boxing career

After a back-and-forth on social media, Askren fought

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

personality

Jake Paul Jake Joseph Paul (born January 17, 1997) is an American media personality and professional boxer. He initially rose to fame on Vine, before playing the role of Dirk Mann on the Disney Channel series ''Bizaardvark'' for two seasons. Throughout ...

in a

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

match on April 17, 2021, losing by TKO. The legitimacy of the match was questioned by fans and fellow MMA fighters. The match reportedly generated at least 1.45 million

pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...

buys as per

Triller The trillers are a group of passerine birds belonging to the cuckooshrike family Campephagidae partially making up the genus '' Lalage''. Their name come from the loud trilling calls of the males. There are about 12 species that usually exist ...

. The legitimacy of the pay-per-view numbers have also been questioned by multiple personalities such as UFC president

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who serves as president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at $500 milli ...

Personal life

He is competitive in the sport of disc golf. In 2009, Askren finished ninth in the Amateur World Championships. Askren is sponsored by

Discraft Discraft is a company that originated in 1978 in London, Ontario. It was started by a group of disc sport enthusiasts including Jim Kenner, Gail McColl,Chris and Mary Greenwood and Wallace Kenny. In 1979 Jim and Gail moved to Michigan and started ...

. He is also involved in

cryptocurrency A cryptocurrency, crypto-currency, or crypto is a digital currency designed to work as a medium of exchange through a computer network that is not reliant on any central authority, such as a government or bank, to uphold or maintain it. It i ...

investing. Askren co-hosts a few weekly wrestling podcasts: 'FloWrestling Radio Live' with Christian Pyles on FloWrestling, 'The Funky & FRB Show' with Front Row Brian o
Rokfin
and 'The T-Row & Funky Show' with two–time NCAA champion

Tommy Rowlands Tommy Rowlands (born June 3, 1981) is a former American freestyle and folkstyle wrestler. High school and college Rowlands graduated from Bishop Ready High School in Columbus, Ohio in 1999. He was a two-time Ohio state champion (1997–99) ...

. Askren is believed to be

irreligious Irreligion or nonreligion is the absence or rejection of religion, or indifference to it. Irreligion takes many forms, ranging from the casual and unaware to full-fledged philosophies such as atheism and agnosticism, secular humanism and ant ...

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

** Fight of the Night (One time) * Bellator Fighting Championships ** Bellator Welterweight Championship (One time) **Four successful title defenses ** Bellator Season 2 Welterweight Tournament Championship ** Most consecutive title defenses in Bellator history (4) ** Most successful title defenses in Bellator history (4) **Undefeated (9-0) *

** ONE Welterweight Championship (One time) **Three successful title defenses ***undefeated (7-0)

Disc golf

Professional Disc Golf Association The Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the promotion and sustainable growth of disc golf. The PDGA is the global governing body of disc golf. The organization promotes t ...

** 2011 United States Amateur Disc Golf Championship 2nd Place ** 2009 PDGA Amateur World Doubles Championships Advanced 4th Place ** 2009 St. Louis Open Advanced 2nd Place ** 2009 Mighty MO Advanced 1st Place ** 2009 First Class Challenge 3rd place ** 2006 Alabama Amateur Open Intermediate 3rd Place ** 2005 Highnoon at Indiantown Intermediate 2nd Place

Submission grappling

* Abu Dhabi Combat Club ** 2009 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Quarterfinalist *

International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

2009 Grappling World Championships Senior No-Gi Gold Medalist *

USA Wrestling USA Wrestling (formerly known as the United States Wrestling Federation and as the United States Wrestling Association) is the organization that currently governs freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling in the United States. USA Wrestling is ...

World Team Trials Senior No-Gi Winner (2009)

Amateur wrestling

** 2010 Cerro Pelado International Senior Freestyle Silver Medalist ** 2010 Dave Schultz Memorial International Open Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist ** 2009 Hargobind International Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist ** 2009 Sunkist Kids International Open Senior Freestyle Silver Medalist ** 2008 Kyiv International Senior Freestyle Bronze Medalist ** 2007 NYAC Holiday International Open Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist ** 2007 Hargobind International Tournament Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist ** 2005 Pan American Championships Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist *

** USA Senior Freestyle Olympic Team Trials Winner (2008) ** USA Junior Freestyle World Team Trials Winner (2004) ** USA Senior Freestyle National Championship (2008) ** ASICS Tiger High School All-American (2002) ** West Junior Freestyle Regional Championship (2002) ** Northern Plains Junior Freestyle Regional Championship (2001, 2002) *

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Division I Collegiate National Champion (2006, 2007) **

Division I All-American (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007) 4x NCAA Finalist **

Championship (2004, 2006, 2007) **

Collegiate Wrestler of the Year (2006, 2007) **

Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame (2012) * National Wrestling Coaches Association **

Top Collegiate Pinner of the Year (2006, 2007) * National High School Coaches Association ** NHSCA Senior High School National Championship Runner-up (2002) ** NHSCA Senior All-American (2002) *

Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) is the regulatory body for all high school sports in Wisconsin. Its history dates to 1895, making it the earliest continually existing high school athletic organization in the country. ...

** WIAA Division I High School State Championship (2000, 2001) ** WIAA Division I All-State (1999, 2000, 2001) ** Classic 8 Conference Championship (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002) *

George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame The George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame museum located within the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum's Dan Gable Museum. The hall of fame honors wrestlers with a strong amat ...

**George Tragos Award (2018)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 19–2 (1) ,

, Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:54 ,

Kallang Kallang is a planning area and residential town located in the Central Region of Singapore. Development of the town is centered around the Kallang River, the longest river in Singapore. Kallang Planning Area is bounded by Toa Payoh in the no ...

, Singapore , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–1 (1) ,

, KO (flying knee) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:05 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–0 (1) ,

, Technical Submission (bulldog choke) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:20 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–0 (1) ,

Shinya Aoki is a Japanese mixed martial artist, professional wrestler and grappler currently competing in ONE Championship's and Rizin Fighting Federation's Welterweight division. He also competes in DDT Pro-Wrestling where he is a former three-time DDT E ...

, TKO (punches) , ONE Championship 62: Immortal Pursuit , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:57 ,

, Singapore , , - , Win , align=center , 17–0 (1) , Zebaztian Kadestam , TKO (punches) , ONE Championship 58: Shanghai , , align=center , 2 , align=center , 4:09 ,

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

, China , , - , Win , align=center , 16–0 (1) , Agilan Thani , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , ONE Championship 54: Dynasty of Heroes , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 2:20 ,

, Singapore , , - , Win , align=center , 15–0 (1) , Nikolay Aleksakhin , Decision (unanimous) , ONE Championship 41: Global Rivals , , align=center , 5 , align=center , 5:00 ,

Pasay Pasay, officially the City of Pasay ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasay; ), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, i ...

, Philippines , , - , NC , align=center , 14–0 (1) , Luis Santos , NC (accidental eye poke) , ONE Championship 26: Valor of Champions , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 2:19 ,

, Philippines , , - , Win , align=center , 14–0 , Nobutatsu Suzuki , TKO (punches) , ONE FC 19: Reign of Champions , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 1:24 ,

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center , 13–0 , Bakhtiyar Abbasov , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , ONE FC 16: Honor and Glory , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 4:21 ,

, Singapore , , - , Win , align=center , 12–0 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center , 4 , align=center , 2:58 ,

Rio Rancho, New Mexico Rio Rancho ( es, Río Rancho) is the most populous and only city in Sandoval County, part of the expansive Albuquerque metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of New Mexico. A small portion of the city extends into northern Bernalillo County. It i ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center , 11–0 ,

, TKO (doctor stoppage) , Bellator 86 , , align=center , 3 , align=center , 5:00 ,

Thackerville, Oklahoma Thackerville is a town in Love County, Oklahoma. It is located in South Central Oklahoma. The population was 445 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ardmore, Oklahoma Micropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Thackerville is located at (33. ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center , 10–0 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center , 5 , align=center , 5:00 ,

Windsor, Ontario Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center , 9–0 ,

, Decision (split) , Bellator 56 , , align=center , 5 , align=center , 5:00 ,

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center , 8–0 , Nick Thompson , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center , 3 , align=center , 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center , 7–0 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

Bellator 33 2010 in Bellator MMA was the second installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started on April 8, 2010 and ended June 24, 2010. Tournaments were held in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and m ...

, , align=center , 5 , align=center , 5:00 ,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center , 6–0 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center , 3 , align=center , 5:00 ,

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center , 5–0 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center , 3 , align=center , 5:00 ,

Grand Prairie, Texas Grand Prairie is a city in Dallas, Tarrant, and Ellis counties of Texas, in the United States. It is part of the Mid-Cities region in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It had a population of 175,396 according to the 2010 census, making it ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center , 4–0 ,

, Technical Submission (guillotine choke) ,

, , align=center , 1 , align=center , 2:40 ,

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center , 3–0 , Matt Delanoit , Submission (north-south choke) , Max Fights DM: Ballroom Brawl , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 1:15 ,

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center , 2–0 , Mitchell Harris , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Headhunter Productions: The Patriot Act 2 , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 1:27 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center , 1–0 , Josh Flowers , TKO (punches) , Headhunter Productions: The Patriot Act , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 1:25 ,

, United States ,

Freestyle record

, - ! Res. ! Record ! Opponent ! Score ! Date ! Event ! Location , - , Loss , 31–11 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", TF 0–11 , style="font-size:88%", May 6, 2019 , style="font-size:88%", 2019 Beat The Streets: Grapple at the Garden , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" ,

New York City, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, - , Loss , 31–10 , align=left, Clayton Foster , style="font-size:88%", 3–10 , style="font-size:88%", January 20, 2015 , style="font-size:88%", Flo Premier League IV , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" , Wales, Wisconsin , - , Win , 31–9 , align=left, Michael Poeta , style="font-size:88%", OT 11–10 , style="font-size:88%", January 26, 2014 , style="font-size:88%", Agon III , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" ,

Whitewater, Wisconsin Whitewater is a city located in Walworth and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located near the southern portion of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, Whitewater is the home of the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. As of the 2 ...

, - , Win , 30–9 , align=left, Quentin Wright , style="font-size:88%", 22–8 , style="font-size:88%", October 27, 2013 , style="font-size:88%", Agon I , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" ,

, - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 29–9 , align=left,

Travis Paulson Travis Paulson (born May 11, 1985) is an American freestyle wrestler who formerly competed at 74 kg for the United States of America. Biography Paulson wrestled for Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa during his high schoo ...

, style="font-size:88%", 0–1, 1–3 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=2, June 11, 2010 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=2, 2010 US World Team Trials , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=2,

Council Bluffs, Iowa Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha–Council Bluffs ...

, - , Win , 29–8 , align=left, Terry Madden , style="font-size:88%", 1–0, 4–1 , - , Win , 28–8 , align=left, Moza Fay , style="font-size:88%", TF 9–2 , style="font-size:88%", May 13, 2010 , style="font-size:88%", 2010 Beat The Streets: Battle on the Intrepid , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" ,

, - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Win , 27–8 , align=left, Trent Paulson , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, February 5, 2010 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2010 Dave Schultz Memorial International Open , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=5,

Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...

, - , Win , 26–8 , align=left,

Rashid Kurbanov Rashid or Rachid ( ar, راشد ) and Rasheed ( ar, رشيد ), which means "rightly guided", may refer to: *Rashid (name), also Rachid and Rasheed, people with the given name or surname *Rached, a given name and surname *Rashad, a surname Plac ...

, style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 25–8 , align=left, Mathew Jud Gentry , style="font-size:88%", 1–2, 5–0, 4–0 , - , Win , 24–8 , align=left, Brian Surage , style="font-size:88%", 5–0, 6–0 , - , Win , 23–8 , align=left, Airam Gonzalez Garcia , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 22–8 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 1–2, 1–1 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, October 24, 2009 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2009 Sunkist International Open , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=4,

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

, - , Win , 22–7 , align=left, Keith Gavin , style="font-size:88%", 4–1, 7–4 , - , Win , 21–7 , align=left, Benjamin Wissel , style="font-size:88%", 1–0, 7–0 , - , Win , 20–7 , align=left, Matt Wilps , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 19–7 , align=left , Ivan Fundora , style="font-size:88%", 1–3, 0–4 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=2, August 12, 2008 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=2,

, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=2,

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

, China , - , Win , 19–6 , align=left , István Veréb , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Win , 18–6 , align=left , Tyrone Lewis , style="font-size:88%", 2–6, 2–0, 1–0 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, June 15, 2008 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2008 US Olympic Team Trials , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=4,

, - , Win , 17–6 , align=left , Tyrone Lewis , style="font-size:88%", 2–0, 1–0 , - , Win , 16–6 , align=left, Ramico Blackmon , style="font-size:88%", 1–0, 2–1 , - , Win , 15–6 , align=left ,

Donny Pritzlaff Donny Pritzlaff (born January 23, 1979) is a freestyle wrestler who represented the United States in international competition, winning bronze medals at the 2006 World Wrestling Championships and at the 2007 FILA Wrestling World Cup. He resides ...

, style="font-size:88%", 3–0, 1–1 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Win , 14–6 , align=left, Tyrone Lewis , style="font-size:88%", 3–0, 3–2 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, April 26, 2008 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, 2008 US National Championships , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=3,

, - , Win , 13–6 , align=left, Ryan Churella , style="font-size:88%", 4–0, 5–2 , - , Win , 12–6 , align=left, Ramico Blackmon , style="font-size:88%", 8–4, 6–0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Win , 11–6 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 3–0, 1–0 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, November 17, 2007 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2007 NYAC Open , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=4,

, - , Win , 10–6 , align=left, Ramico Blackman , style="font-size:88%", 0–2, 1–0, 2–0 , - , Win , 9–6 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 2–2, 5–0 , - , Win , 8–6 , align=left,

Matt Gentry Matthew Judah Gentry (born July 30, 1982) is Canadian-American former wrestler. Although Gentry was born in the United States, he represented Canada at the Olympic Games due to holding dual citizenship. He participated in the Men's freestyle 74 k ...

, style="font-size:88%", 3–2, 3–1 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 7–6 , align=left, Matthew Lackey , style="font-size:88%", 0–4, 2–6 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=6, October 28, 2007 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=6, 2007 Sunkist International Open , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=6,

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, - , Win , 7–5 , align=left, Travis Koppenhafer , style="font-size:88%", 4–1, 2–1 , - , Loss , 6–5 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 6–0, 1–3, 0–2 , - , Win , 6–4 , align=left, Joey Hooker , style="font-size:88%", 4–0, 6–0 , - , Win , 5–4 , align=left, Chance Goodman , style="font-size:88%", TF 6–0, 6–0 , - , Win , 4–4 , align=left, Matthew Lackey , style="font-size:88%", TF 5–3, 6–0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 3–4 , align=left , Ramico Blackmon , style="font-size:88%", 1–4, 1–4 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, June 10, 2007 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, 2007 US World Team Trials , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=3,

, - , Win , 3–3 , align=left ,

, style="font-size:88%", 4–3, 1–0 , - , Loss , 2–3 , align=left ,

, style="font-size:88%", 0–2, 1–3 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 2–2 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 0–2, 0–7 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, April 7, 2007 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2007 US National Championships , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=4,

, - , Loss , 2–1 , align=left, Joe Heskett , style="font-size:88%", 3–2, 2–5, 1–1 , - , Win , 2–0 , align=left, Tyrone Lewis , style="font-size:88%", 1–0, 1–1 , - , Win , 1–0 , align=left, David Bolyard , style="font-size:88%", TF 10–3, 7–1

NCAA record

! colspan="8", NCAA Championships Matches , - ! Res. ! Record ! Opponent ! Score ! Date ! Event , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2007 NCAA Championships at 174 lbs , - , Win , 17–2 , align=left, Keith Gavin , style="font-size:88%", 8–2 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, March 15–17, 2007 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2007 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships , - , Win , 16–2 , align=left, Eric Luedke , style="font-size:88%", 8–3 , - , Win , 15–2 , align=left, Matt Palmer , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 14–2 , align=left, Gabriel Dretsch , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 13–2 , align=left, Lloyd Rogers , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2006 NCAA Championships at 174 lbs , - , Win , 12–2 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", MD 14–2 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, March 16–18, 2006 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5,

2006 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Oklahoma City hosted the 2006 NCAA Wrestling Team Championship from March 16–18, 2006. 64 teams vied for the NCAA team championship, and over 320 wrestlers competed for individual honors. Oklahoma State University crowned two individual champion ...

, - , Win , 11–2 , align=left, Mike Patrovich , style="font-size:88%", TF 21–6 , - , Win , 10–2 , align=left, Travis Frick , style="font-size:88%", TF 19–3 , - , Win , 9–2 , align=left, Wes Roberts , style="font-size:88%", 6–4 , - , Win , 8–2 , align=left, Christian Arellano , style="font-size:88%", 9–2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2005 NCAA Championships at 174 lbs , - , Loss , 7–2 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 5–10 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, March 17–19, 2005 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2005 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships , - , Win , 7–1 , align=left, Pete Friedl , style="font-size:88%", 7–2 , - , Win , 6–1 , align=left, E.K. Waldhaus , style="font-size:88%", MD 17–4 , - , Win , 5–1 , align=left, Brady Richardson , style="font-size:88%", MD 9–0 , - , Win , 4–1 , align=left, Mark Himes , style="font-size:88%", TF 18–2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2004 NCAA Championships at 174 lbs , - , Loss , 3–1 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 4–11 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, March 18–20, 2004 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2004 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships , - , Win , 3–0 , align=left, Tyler Nixt , style="font-size:88%", 4–2 , - , Win , 2–0 , align=left, Brad Dillon , style="font-size:88%", SV 12–7 , - , Win , 1–0 , align=left, Matt Herrington , style="font-size:88%", Fall , -

Professional boxing record

Submission grappling record

{, class="wikitable" style="font-size:80%; text-align:left;" , - ! Result ! Rec ! Opponent ! Method ! Event ! Date ! Division ! Location , - , Win , , 12–2 , ,

Gerald Meerschaert Gerald Edward Meerschaert III (born December 18, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2007, he formerly competed for the ...

, , Submission (anaconda choke) , , rowspan=3, Absolute Grappling Grand Prix at Wisconsin State Fair , , rowspan=3, August 5, 2011 , , rowspan=3, Absolute , , rowspan=3,

West Allis, Wisconsin West Allis is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. A suburb of Milwaukee, it is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The population was 60,325 at the 2020 census. History The name West Allis derives from Edward P. Allis, ...

, United States , - , Win , , 11–2 , , Rafael "Formiga" Barbosa , , Points (23–0) , - , Win , , 10–2 , , Lyndon Viteri , , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , - , Loss , , 9–2 , , Francisco "Sinistro" Iturralde , , Advantage points (3–4) , , IBJJF 2010 Nogi Jiu Jitsu World Championship , , November 7, 2010 , , -82 kg (purple) , ,

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, United States , - , Win , , 9–1 , ,

, , Points (3–1) , , rowspan=4, FILA 2009 Grappling World Championship , , rowspan=4, December 12, 2009 , , rowspan=4, -84 kg , , rowspan=4,

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

, United States , - , Win , , 8–1 , , Jeff Funicello , , Points (4–0) , - , Win , , 7–1 , , Gabriel Kitober , , Points (5–4) , - , Win , , 6–1 , , Bernardo Serrini , , Submission (choke) , - , Win , , 5–1 , ,

, , Points (6–0) , , rowspan=4, USA Grappling World Team Trials , , rowspan=4, October 23, 2009 , , rowspan=4, -84 kg , , rowspan=4,

, United States , - , Win , , 4–1 , ,

Shannon Ritch Shannon Grey Ritch (born September 27, 1970) is an American professional mixed martial artist, boxer, grappler, professional wrestler and kickboxer. In mixed martial arts competition he is the former King of the Cage Middleweight Champion and th ...

, , Submission (armbar) , - , Win , , 3–1 , , Shane Cross , , Submission (north-south choke) , - , Win , , 2–1 , , Danny Rubenstein , , Submission (D'Arce choke) , - , Loss , , 1–1 , ,

, , Submission (toe hold) , , rowspan=2, ADCC 2009 Submission Wrestling World Championship , , rowspan=2, September 26, 2009 , , rowspan=2, -77 kg , , rowspan=2,

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

, Spain , - , Win , , 1–0 , , Toni Linden , , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , -

References

Notes

External links

Ben Askren's Personal WebsiteBen Askren's Rokfin Channel

Ben Askren profile at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Askren, Ben 1984 births American male mixed martial artists American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu American male sport wrestlers Bellator MMA champions Living people Mixed martial artists from Missouri Olympic wrestlers of the United States Welterweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing freestyle wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Wrestlers at the 2008 Summer Olympics Missouri Tigers wrestlers People from Hartland, Wisconsin Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Arizona State Sun Devils wrestling coaches ONE Championship champions