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Yes. Although Ben Askren has never spoken in detail about having Asperger Syndrome, he does claim to have Asperger's.
'Funky' appeared in an interview with ESPN's Ariel Helwani back in 2019, just one day before his bout with 'Gamebred' Jorge Masvidal. The conversation caught on to the theme of social etiquette, with Ariel Helwani pointing out that Ben Askren did not reply to incomplete conversations. In his defense, Ben Askren said:
"I don't think texting etiquette is that important... I got Aspergers, so my wife says, you know, I miss out on a lot of social cues."
Asperger Syndrome is a developmental disorder. It affects a person's social and communication skills. However, effective training in socializing skills helps achieve considerable success in minimizing the effects of Asperger Syndrome.
At the time of the interview, Ben Askren held an undefeated professional mixed martial arts record of 19-0. In his 20th career fight, he faced Jorge Masvidal at UFC 239.
In what became one of the most iconic moments in MMA history, Jorge Masvidal rushed to deliver a flying knee as soon as the fight started. The knee landed right on the spot, sending Ben Askren crashing into the canvas. The 5-second KO became the first loss of Ben Askren's career.
The former Bellator MMA and ONE Championship welterweight champion competed once again in a fight against Demian Maia. In his second consecutive loss, Ben Askren was caught in a rear-naked choke by Demian Maia which resulted in a technical submission win for the latter.
After this loss, Ben Askren announced his retirement from pro MMA.
Also Read: Everything you need to know about Ben Askren's Wife
Why did Ben Askren retire from professional MMA?
Ben Askren retired from MMA not once, but on two different occasions. He announced his first retirement from pro MMA in November 2017. The then-ONE Championship welterweight champion had reached the limit of his 6-fight contract. For the last fight, he faced Shinya Aoki in ONE Championship 62: Immortal Pursuit.
For the fight that was known as his retirement fight, Ben Askren got the job done pretty quick as he won the bout via TKO within the first minute of the fight. However, he maintained that he was sticking to his retirement plans due to the effects that the sport had had on his body and family.
Nevertheless, Ben Askren came out of retirement in 2019 as he signed on the dotted line with the UFC. He faced former UFC welterweight champion, 'Ruthless' Robbie Lawler in his UFC debut.
Askren produced a successful debut as he choked Lawler out within the first round by locking in a Bulldog choke. Ben Askren's next two fights against Jorge Masvidal and Demian Maia did not go in his favor.
After two consecutive losses, Ben Askren announced his retirement in November 2019. In an episode of Ariel Helwani's MMA Show, Ben Askren said:
"It’s fairy obvious what I’m going to say. I’m retired from the sport of mixed martial arts and frankly, I’m retired from everything. I’ve been having hip problems and I finally had this discussion with my doctor, and I need a hip replacement."
Check out here: How much does Ben Askren earn?
