Ben Askren
| Ben Askren | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 18, 1984 Hartland, Wisconsin, United States |
| Other names | Funky |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb) |
| Division |
Welterweight Middleweight |
| Reach | 71 in (180 cm) |
| Fighting out of | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Team |
Roufusport Evolve MMA |
| Rank | brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Wrestling | NCAA Division I Wrestling Olympic Freestyle Wrestling |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 16 |
| Wins | 15 |
| By knockout | 4 |
| By submission | 4 |
| By decision | 7 |
| Losses | 0 |
| No contests | 1 |
| Other information | |
| University | University of Missouri |
| Notable relatives | Max Askren, Brother |
| Notable club(s) | Sunkist Kids |
| Notable school(s) | Arrowhead High School |
| Website | http://www.benaskren.net/ |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  United States
|
||
| Men's freestyle wrestling | ||
| Pan American Championships | ||
 |
2005 Guatemala City | -84 kg |
| United States Championships | ||
|
2008 Las Vegas | -84 kg |
| Men's grappling | ||
| World Championships | ||
|
2009 Fort Lauderdale | -84 kg (No-Gi) |
Ben Askren (born July 18, 1984) is an American former amateur wrestler for the University of Missouri and U.S. Olympic team. He is now a grappler, mixed martial artist, and the former Bellator Welterweight Champion and the current ONE Welterweight Champion known for his effective wrestling . He is currently ranked as the #7 welterweight in the world by Fight!Magazine and as the #10 welterweight by Sherdog.
Askren was an assistant wrestling coach at Arizona State University and was an American amateur wrestler for the University of Missouri. He is a two-time state champion in wrestling at Arrowhead High School in Hartland, Wisconsin.
In college, he wrestled in the 174 lb. weight class. He lost the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship match to Chris Pendleton in both 2004 and 2005 before winning it in 2006 and 2007. He is known for his pinning ability (he holds the single-season NCAA pin record); his massive afro, and his "funky", or unorthodox, wrestling style. For example, while being ridden in the 2005 championship match, he attempted to reach around and apply a headlock to Pendleton, a move that any wrestling coach would disavow. His tall, lanky body — in sharp contrast to the squat, muscular physiques of many top wrestlers — allows him to attempt moves that most wrestlers could not. This characteristic later led to a challenging transition to freestyle wrestling early in his career, as the freestyle rules differ from folkstyle wrestling and penalize a wrestler for exposing his back. His younger brother Max also wrestled for Missouri and won a national championship in 2010.
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