Rivalries: Ben Askren

The mere mention of Ben Askren elicits a visceral reaction from many fighters, fans and media types, all of whom seem to have developed strong opinions on the former Bellator MMA and One Championship titleholder.

Askren was a four-time NCAA All-American wrestler and two-time national champion at the University of Missouri, then competed at 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing before shifting his attention to mixed martial arts. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native made his professional debut on Feb. 7, 2009 and captured the undisputed Bellator welterweight championship less than two years later. Askren later migrated to the Singapore-based One Championship organization, laid claim to its welterweight crown and eventually made his way to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He went 19-0 with one no contest—an undefeated run that included a controversial submission victory over Robbie Lawler—in his first 20 appearances before back-to-back losses inside the Octagon prompted his retirement.

With memories of “Funky Ben” still fresh, a look at some of the rivalries that defined his career:

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Douglas Lima

Lima was powerless, as Askren utilized takedowns, his uncanny scrambling ability and a suffocating top game to retain his welterweight title with a one-sided unanimous decision over the Brazilian in the Bellator 64 main event on April 6, 2012 in Windsor, Ontario. Booed lustily by fans who desired more action on the feet, Askren swept the scorecards by identical 50-45 counts. Outside of a few right hands, sporadic punches from the bottom, occasional submission attempts and a slick first-round sweep, Lima did little of note from an offensive standpoint. At the end of two rounds, he looked lost and discouraged, his considerable repertoire utterly neutralized by an Olympic-caliber wrestler. Askren struck for takedowns in all five rounds, tagged the American Top Team representative with punches, hammerfists and elbows from inside his guard and scrambled away from danger whenever it surfaced. The Roufusport product tried to finish Lima with a third-round brabo choke but released the hold when it became clear he could not complete it, settling back into his routine and cruising to another decision.

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Luis Santos

An inadvertent but devastating thumb to the eye left Santos unable to continue and allowed Askren to keep his welterweight crown in the One Championship “Valor of Champions” headliner on April 24, 2015 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, Philippines. The blow took the steam out of the entire show, resulted in an unsatisfied crowd and led to a no contest 2:19 into Round 1. Santos held his own until the foul. The well-traveled Brazilian shut down a takedown attempt from the four-time NCAA All-American wrestler and countered by sending a head kick in Askren’s direction, forcing him to disengage. The former Olympian was not dissuaded, however, and during a later exchange accidentally gouged Santos in the right eye with his left thumb while closing the distance on a body-lock takedown. After an extended delay, “Sapo” informed the referee he could not see, resulting in the no contest. Askren remained undefeated, and the rematch for which Santos long pined never materialized.

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Demian Maia

The 2007 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist choked Askren unconscious in the third round of their UFC Fight Night 162 main event on Oct. 26, 2019 in Kallang, Singapore. Askren lost his grip on reality in the throes of a rear-naked choke 3:54 into Round 3, losing for the second time in as many appearances. The first and second rounds were awkward but competitive, and they were surprisingly entertaining. Despite connecting with increased regularity and thump on the feet in Round 2, Askren turned to an ill-advised takedown in the third. Maia swept the decorated amateur wrestler with a heel hook, advanced to three-quarter mount and forced him to surrender his back. Soon after, the rear-naked choke was in place, the outcome suddenly a formality. Less than a month later, Askren announced his retirement.