5 Things You Didn’t Know About Ben Askren

Former Bellator MMA and ONE FC welterweight champion, Ben Askren, is set to make his boxing debut against YouTuber Jake Paul in April. Askren, known for his wrestling accolades, will have a chip on his shoulder, as boxing purists will look forward to him trying to stop ‘The Problem Child’s’ unbeaten run.

Following the announcement of the fight, both stars have started taking shots at each other on social media. Considering their trash-talking prowess, more is expected to come. Ahead of ‘Funky’s’ return to combat sports, let’s take a look at 5 things you probably didn’t know about MMA legend Askren.

1. Ben Askren didn’t start wrestling until 6th grade

‘Funky’ is one of the best wrestlers to grace the sport of MMA. But, it was not until 6th grade he started taking the sport seriously. He started training with his brother and entered different competitions across the US.

He had the financial backing of his father and had a wrestling training facility set up in their basement where they practiced. Despite playing other sports, he wanted to compete in a one-on-one sport. Hence, wrestling suited him the best. Needless to say, he made the right choice.

2. Ben Askren beat Chris Weidman in 2001

Askren fought Chris Weidman during his NCAA days in 2001. Weidman was a lanky wrestler back then, and he got dominated by Askren as the duo came across each other during the competition. It was a monumental victory considering Weidman’s accolades in his later career.

Weidman ended up becoming the fighter who beat Anderson Silva and ended his legendary undefeated streak.

3. Ben Askren competed in the 2008 Olympics

Askren went to the Olympics in 2008 as part of the United States wrestling team. His teammates included future MMA champions such as Henry Cejudo and Daniel Cormier. Askren won his first match, but lost his second contest hours later against Cuban wrestler and 2004 Olympics bronze medalist Ivan Fundora. He was eliminated from the tournament but avenged his loss against Fundora in 2010.

4. Ben Askren’s MMA debut

Following his failed Olympic bid, Askren made the decision to start competing in MMA. He was in Beijing with his future wife, Amy Askren. Despite being heartbroken, he decided to continue competing. Only this time, he wanted to step inside the cage to fight in MMA.

‘Funky’ joined the famous American Top Team to start training and eventually made his MMA debut in 2009. He defeated his opponent via ground-and-pound and went on a 19-fight run before losing to ATT veteran Jorge Masvidal at UFC 239.

5. Ben Askren loves to Play Disc Golf

Apart from being a top-notch mixed martial artist, ‘Funky‘ has also been an excellent disc-golf athlete. His passion for the sport was always inevitable. Askren finished 9th in the 2011 PGDA Amateur Disc-Golf World Championship. Furthermore, he came second in the US for the same event in the same year.

Askren’s UFC career didn’t go as well as expected. However, his age, a bad hip, and other factors played a part in it. But, that does not take away what he accomplished at Bellator MMA and ONE Championship.

He has been a phenomenal athlete with tremendous success in his career. Also, his ever-entertaining, colorful character is something to behold.

What other interesting facts do you know about Askren? Let us know below.