Photo: MMAnytt / CC BY 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Ben Askren is my favorite kind of athlete: a man who won ugly and never once apologized for it. While the sport chased highlight-reel knockouts, he dominated the welterweight divisions of Bellator and ONE with relentless, suffocating wrestling honed at the University of Missouri — a style critics mocked and opponents dreaded. What deepens my respect is his second act: author, sports commentator, and tireless advocate for amateur wrestling, giving back to the discipline that made him. He treats fighting as a craft and a community rather than a brand. In an era of manufactured personas, Askren's stubborn authenticity feels almost radical to me.
Overview
Benjamin Michael Askren (born July 18, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist, professional boxer 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.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ben Askren
- Name (Japanese)
- ベン・アスクレン
- Reading
- べん・あすくれん
- Born
- July 18, 1984 (age 41)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Rat
- Origin
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 180 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- author / amateur wrestler / mixed martial arts fighter / sports commentator
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Arrowhead High School
- University
- University of Missouri
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Author — see all → · Amateur wrestler — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.