About Ben AskrenBen Askren is unconventional. It's part of the reason he's earned the nickname Funky, a nod to his unique and unorthodox style of wrestling. Ben's got the personality to match: unfiltered, playful, confident and self-depreciating.
Part of what's made Ben stand out at every phase of his career is his unassuming presence. He doesn't look the part, but that's what Ben does best. He surprises you on his path to success. That path has been anything but ordinary. Here's the story of Ben Askren: |
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Wrestling
Ben Askren grew up in Hartland, Wisconson. He was introduced to wrestling age six by his father but didn't take the sport seriously until joining a wrestling club in fifth grade. From there, Ben's love for the sport and success within it hit new levels. Ben reached high school and dominated his weight class at a state level. In 2002, he joined the University of Missouri, a team that had just claimed it's first NCAA Big 12 title (thanks to future friend and fellow MMA fighter Tyron Woodley). Here Ben would help the program reach new levels. His NCAA career consisted of a 157-8 overall record. His final two years were dominant with an 87-0 record capped by back-to-back national championships (2006 & 2007). Ben was a four-time all-American, and two-time recipient of the Dan Hodge Trophy (the college wrestling equivalent of the Heisman). His next big accomplishment was defeating the national runner-up Tyrone Lewis at the US Olympic Trials in Las Vegas to secure a spot on the 2008 US Olympic Team. In Beijing, Ben competed in the 74 kg. weight class, where he would open his first match with a win via pin. Ben was eliminated in the following round with a loss to Cuba's Ivan Fundora. Photo by Justin Hoch |
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Mixed Martial Arts
Ben's next big goal was to transition to Mixed Martial Arts. He knew that he needed time to develop the new skills required to make the transition, but after going 3-0 on the independent circuit, he got an unexpected opportunity to take part in Bellator's Season 2 Welterweight Tournament. Despite not as experienced as he would've like, Ben went on to win the tournament in June 2010. Shortly after he defeated Lyman Good via decision to win the Bellator Welterweight Championship. Ben would win his next 5 fights with the promotion before becoming a free agent and vacating the title. At the end of 2013 Ben signed a new deal with the Asia-based promotion ONE FC. In only his second fight with the organization, he won the Welterweight title with a TKO (punches) of Nobutatsu Suzuki. Three of his next four victories in the promotion came via finish. In 2019, after a rare cross-promotion trade, he would make his much-anticipated UFC debut against former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler. Ben would walk away as the victor thanks to a Technical Submission (Bulldog Choke) in the first round. His next match didn't go quite as planned, with an infamous loss against Jorge Masvidal. In October 2019 his Fight of the Night performance would come up short against Demian Maia. Shortly after, Ben would go on Ariel Helwani's MMA Show to announce his retirement from the sport at age 35. Hip problems required a left hip replacement and lengthy recovery time that would keep him out of competition (and title contention) for an extended period of time. |
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Business
Unlike many fighters, Ben understood the importance of having a career outside of competition. His retirement from MMA allowed him to grow his businesses full-time. Ben co-founded Askren Wrestling Academy (AWA) with his brother Max. They currently operate 5 gyms and Ben believes they will be the largest wrestling academy in the US within 3 years. Ben has emerged as a big proponent and investor in cryptocurrencies — he believes it’ll continue to disrupt numerous industries. Ben currently co-hosts The Funky Crypto Podcast, where he educates the masses about Bitcoin, Litecoin, and cryptocurrencies. Photo by Justin Hoch |
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Media
Ben founded the T-Row and Funky Show with Tommy Rowlands in 2016. They created 110 episodes, then transitioned to the Rudis Wrestling Podcast in 2018. Ben currently co-hosts the #1 podcast in wrestling, Flowrestling Radio Live, as well as the On Deck show for Rudis.
Ben co-hosted the Lineup MMA podcast with Sean Wheelock and Joe Warren. He currently hosts The Funky and FRB show with Front Row Brian, in addition to the Funky Crypto Show. Askren started doing Mental Mondays in 2015 in response to questions from fans. With over one million followers between Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, Ben Askren has 100 million impressions per month just on Twitter. |
Watching Ben go through his own losses in life and watching the way he rebounded and kept moving forward was inspiring to me. One thing specifically in business is the way he is able to cut through the fluff and look at the heart of the matter and help make a sound decision. |
