Ben Askren
American wrestler and mixed martial artist (born 1984)
Why this is trending
Interest in “Ben Askren” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-07-19.
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Key Takeaways
- Benjamin Michael Askren (born July 18, 1984) is an American former professional mixed martial artist and Olympic wrestler.
- He also competed in the welterweight division of the UFC, where he peaked as the #5 ranked welterweight.
- He also was the 2005 Pan American champion as a freestyle wrestler.
- Askren currently works for Real American Freestyle (RAF) as an ambassador, commentator, and matchmaker.
- Wrestling career Early career and folkstyle Askren was introduced to the sport of wrestling by his father Chuck at age six, but only took the sport seriously when he started the sixth grade and joined a club.
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Source summary
WikipediaBenjamin Michael Askren (born July 18, 1984) is an American former professional mixed martial artist and Olympic wrestler. He formerly competed in the Welterweight divisions of Bellator Fighting Championships and ONE FC, where he was the longest reigning Bellator Welterweight Champion and longest reigning ONE Welterweight World Champion. He also competed in the welterweight division of the UFC, where he peaked as the #5 ranked welterweight.
An accomplished grappler, he was a 2008 US Olympic Team Member and National champion in freestyle wrestling. He also was the 2005 Pan American champion as a freestyle wrestler. In college, Askren was a two-time NCAA Division I national champion (four-time finalist), and three-time Big 12 Conference champion (four-time finalist) for the Missouri Tigers, and was the second wrestler to secure multiple Dan Hodge Trophies (the wrestling equivalent of the Heisman Trophy) in folkstyle wrestling. He was also a world champion in submission wrestling.
Askren currently works for Real American Freestyle (RAF) as an ambassador, commentator, and matchmaker. He returned to active competition at RAF 11 against Belal Muhammad on July 18, 2026.
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