Benjamin Michael Askren (born July 18, 1984), Ben Askren, is a former mixed martial artist and amateur wrestler from the United States. Before participating in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Askren was the former Bellator and ONE Welterweight Champion, unbeaten for over a decade (UFC).
He was a two-time NCAA Division I national champion (four-time finalist), two–time Big 12 Conference champion (four-time finalist), and the second wrestler to win multiple Dan Hodge Trophies (wrestling’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy). He was also a world-submission wrestling champion.
| Name | Ben Askren |
| Nickname | Funky |
| Net Worth | Approx $500 Thousand |
| Age | 36 Years (born 18th July 1984) |
| Residence | Phoenix, Arizona, United States |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse | Amy Askren |
| Sources of Wealth | Podcast and Endorsements |
| Division | Welterweight ( 170 lbs ) ( retired ) |
| Height | 5’10” |
| MMA Record | 19-2-0 |
| Recent Endorsements | Dollamur Sport and CoinFlip Bitcoin ATM |
| Team/Gym | Roufusport / Evolve MMA |
| Last Updated | 2021 |
wrestling Career
Ben Askren was introduced to wrestling by his father Chuck when he was six years old, but he didn’t take it seriously until he entered sixth grade and joined a club. He was a two–time WIAA state champion as a senior at Arrowhead High School in Wisconsin. Askren wrestled at 174 pounds for the Missouri Tigers in college, where he competed with future UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley and future Bellator Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler.
Ben Askren finished second in both the NCAA and Big 12 Conference Championships, losing all of his finals matches against Oklahoma State star Chris Pendleton. After finishing second for half of his career, Askren stepped up as a junior and senior, becoming only the third athlete in history to win the Dan Hodge Trophy two times, as he went 87–0 in both seasons.
Askren graduated with a 153–8 record (seven losses by Chris Pendleton and one by Ryan LangeI), two Dan Hodge Trophies and a Schalles Award, two NCAA titles, two Big 12 championships, and 91 pins, the third most in NCAA Division I history. In addition, Askren was one of six new members of the University of Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame, which was announced on January 9, 2012.
Post-Olympic career
After the Olympics, Askren opted to pursue a career in mixed martial arts (MMA), but he continued to participate in wrestling regularly. In the Cerro Pelado International semifinals in Cuba in 2010, he avenged his Olympic setback by defeating Fundora. Askren had just won the Dave Schultz Memorial International when this happened. Later that year, at the Midlands Tournament, Askren beat 2009 world silver champion Jake Herbert in a folkstyle rules match.
Ben Askren also competed in the Flo Premier League and the Agon Wrestling Championships. In the annual Beat the Streets charity event in May 2019, Askren was defeated by five-time World and Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs due to technical dominance. After something more than a year away from the ring, Askren stated in 2020 that he had successful hip surgery and planned to return to competitive freestyle wrestling shortly.
Mixed Martial Arts Career
On February 7, 2009, Askren made his professional MMA debut. Headhunter Productions hosted the event at the Holiday Inn Select Executive Center in Columbia, Missouri. He stopped Josh Flowers in the first round via TKO. From September 26–27, Askren participated in the 2009 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship in Barcelona, Spain.
He won his debut match by arm-triangle choke against Toni Linden. He lost his second match via figure four footlocker early in the contest to Pablo Popovitch, a seasoned grappler with whom he had trained the previous summer. Popovitch went on to win the under 77 kg (169 lb) class of the tournament. After that, Askren competed in the Season 2 Welterweight Tournament of Bellator Fighting Championships.
On April 15, 2010, Ben Askren beat Ryan Thomas by technical submission in his debut bout at Bellator 14. The fight’s conclusion was disputed since Thomas challenged the stoppage as soon as Askren let go of the choke. Following a period of negotiations, Bellator confirmed on November 14, 2013, that Askren had been released from the business and was now an unrestricted free agent.
Askren signed a two-year, six-fight contract with ONE Championship on December 9, 2013. In the main event of ONE FC: Honor and Glory on May 30, Askren faced Bakhtiyar Abbasov, who was on a nine-fight winning run. He won the battle in the first round via submission (arm-triangle choke) and then called out ONE champion Nobutatsu Suzuki, saying, “Suzuki is going to bring me my title.” He can either place it in the middle of the cage and hand it over to me, or I can take it the hard way!”
The UFC signed Askren via the “trade UFC and One Championship deal” on November 3, 2018, in return for former UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson. The UFC signed Askren via the “trade UFC and One Championship deal” on November 3, 2018, in return for former UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson. Additionally, Askren announced his retirement from a mixed martial arts competition on November 18, 2019.
A boxing match with Jake Paul
Askren battled YouTube celebrity Jake Paul in a boxing bout on April 17, 2021, losing by TKO after a back-and-forth on social media. Fans and fellow MMA competitors, however, questioned the match’s authenticity. According to Triller, the battle produced at least 1.45 million pay-per-view buys. However, many people have claimed the validity of the figures, including UFC president Dana White.
Ben Askren’s Personal life/ Wife and Family
In the sport of disc golf, he is a competitive player. Askren placed eighth in the Amateur World Championships in 2009. Discraft is Askren’s sponsor. In addition, he invests in cryptocurrencies. Askren is a co-host of a few weekly wrestling podcasts, including ‘FloWrestling Radio Live’ with Christian Pyles on FloWrestling, ‘The Funky & FRB Show’ with Front Row Brian Rokfin, and ‘The T-Row & Funky Show’ with two-time NCAA champion Tommy Rowlands on Rokfin.
What is the name of Ben Askren’s wife?
Ben’ Funky’ Askren, 36, married Amy in 2010 while still at the top of his MMA career. They’ve been married to each other for almost a decade and have two children together. Apart from being a proud mother and wife, she has more identities on board. Amy, Askren’s wife, is a professional real estate agent with Firefly Real Estate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Amy graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in finance and began her real estate business shortly after, selling homes in Tosa. She had 25,000 Instagram followers and was one of two persons Paul used to follow on Instagram in an attempt to irritate Askren. After listening to Askren on Paul’s brother Logan’s podcast, Amy gushed about her husband’s mental fortitude on her own Instagram page.
Ben Askren’s Endorsements
Askren and fellow wrestler Jason Bryan co-host a podcast called RUDIS Wrestling Podcast. One of his most recent endorsements is Dollamur Sport. On Twitter, he frequently expresses his support for cryptocurrency. Envy Branding and Management just signed “Funky,” according to License Global.
Ben Askren’s net worth
Ben Askren has a net worth of $500 thousand as an American MMA fighter and former amateur wrestler. Ben Askren has succeeded 19 of his 22 professional matches as of this writing. In his brief time in the UFC, Askren earned $830,500. He was paid $210,000 merely to show up in his bout against Masvidal, then $200,000 to show up in his battle against Demian Maia. As previously stated, Askren will face YouTuber Jake Paul on April 17, 2021. Regardless of the outcome, Askren’s net worth will increase as a result of the battle.
