5 Defining Moments: Ben Askren

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It seems that every time Ben Askren experiences some sort of setback, he is able to rebound using his gift of gab. On Oct. 26, however, he’s going to need more than that as he faces 30-fight Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran and two-division title challenger Demian Maia. Ahead of their scheduled bout at UFC Fight Night 162, learn more about “Funky” through some of his career-defining moments.

Tournament winner

Askren’s first appearance in Bellator coincided with the quarterfinals of the promotion’s welterweight tournament. The verdict was contentious, as Ryan Thomas protested the stoppage immediately after Askren released the fight-winning guillotine choke. Serendipitously, Thomas was able to get an immediate rematch after the original semifinalist, Jim Wallhead, couldn’t make it to the next round. This time, the decorated wrestler left no doubt, controlling Thomas for all three rounds and earning a unanimous decision. The win also afforded him a shot at the Bellator welterweight belt then held by Lyman Good.

Absolute beatdown

When Askren faced Andrey Koreshkov at Bellator 97, the latter was a surging young prospect with 13 straight victories without a single defeat. He was also coming off a tournament-winning performance over Lyman Good. Once again, Askren overwhelmed an opponent with his superior wrestling and eventually ended the fight with some ground and pound in the fourth round. Although the finish wasn’t particularly spectacular, Askren executed an absolute beatdown on a young and dangerous opponent who had even more MMA experience than him.

Tough test

Many feel that Askren met his first real match at One Championship 26 - Valor of Champions with Luis Santos. While the fight lasted only half a round, the Brazilian showed how prepared he was, stuffing almost every takedown attempt from the American. But then an unfortunate incident happened in the middle of the round as Santos fell victim to an accidental eye poke, prompting referee Olivier Coste to stop the fight and rule it a No Contest. Talks of a rematch never materialized.

Charity event

Askren has never been shy about expressing his superiority over other athletes. As a result, he has gathered as many haters as fans. That being said, he earned the respect of many when he accepted a wrestling match with Jordan Burroughs in a charity event held at the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden. Burroughs shut Askren down and out with an 11-0 technical fall victory. It was a match Askren wasn’t favored to win but one which he accepted nonetheless in the spirit of goodwill and charity.

Receiving end

Askren entered UFC 239 following a controversial submission win over Robbie Lawler, which did not help in establishing a dominant presence in the Octagon. Jorge Masvidal made things worse when he knocked out “Funky” with a flying knee in a record-setting time of five seconds. He bounced back a little bit through interviews after the fight, expressing himself with his characteristic honesty in defeat and even commending Masvidal’s technique. Askren remains in high spirits and doesn’t rule out a rematch with the man who handed him his first career MMA loss.