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Former Bellator champion and accomplished wrestler Ben Askren recently weighed in on a controversial collegiate wrestling match that ended with one wrestler withdrawing due to injury.
The incident was uploaded to Twitter by @DakotaReport, a media outlet that covers South Dakota wrestling. In the video, a wrestler in a blue and yellow singlet can be seen repeatedly slapping his opponent and twisting his wrist whilst hand-fighting. He then applies an illegal arm-wrenching technique while the pair are clinching, forcing his opponent to withdraw due to an elbow injury.
Askren commented on the footage and requested that the offender be disqualified for the entire wrestling season:
"Such a dirtbag move, kick him out for the season"
See the tweet below:
Ben Askren is a former Olympic wrestler and two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion. He won the Big 12 Championships three times and has gold medals at the U.S. and World Wrestling Championships. 'Funky' is regarded as one of the most dominant collegiate wrestlers of all time.
Askren migrated to MMA and became the Bellator welterweight champion in just seven fights. He defended the title four times before signing with ONE Championship. He won the welterweight title in the Asian promotion and defended the belt four times.
His tenure with the UFC was far shorter. Askren defeated Robbie Lawler at UFC 235 before losing to Jorge Masvidal and Demian Maia and retiring from the sport.
Former Bellator champion Ben Askren on sobering reality of making money post-fighting
Ben Askren is an incredibly accomplished combat sports athlete with multiple wrestling titles, an Olympic wrestling appearance in 2008, and multiple MMA world titles with Bellator and ONE Championship.
However, Askren realizes that an accomplished combat sports career does not translate to success post-retirement.
During a recent interview with Dad Saves America, the former Bellator champion opened up about the struggles of earning money once a fighter has called time on their career.
'Funky' noted that many retired combat sports athletes are drawn back to competition because it is easier for them than trying to make an equivalent amount of money "in the real world."
Askren said:
"In my last fight I made $300 000, but for me to do that again, I don't have an easy way to make that much money [now]. Whereas with fighting, it's like, I show up, boom, check, there you go. These fighters get to a point where they go, 'Alright I'm gonna retire. My body's beat up.' Then they retire and they realize, 'Wow, making that much money in the real world is really hard. And I didn't save enough.'"
Watch the interview below from 28:15:
