Ben Askren, nicknamed Funky, is one of the top fighters in the world who ruled the roost in One
Championship FC and Bellator MMA, and is now about to make his debut in the UFC. An immensely
controversial personality, Ben Askren is known for being outspoken and telling people exactly what
he thinks of them.
Before entering the world of Combat Sports, Ben Askren was a collegiate wrestler, where he achieved a massive amount of success. He was so good that he was able to go to the 2008 Summer Olympics, but failed to win a medal. He won several recognition and awards for his performances in the field of wrestling. Following the Olympics, he entered the world of MMA and fought and won 3 fights before joining Bellator MMA.
After joining Bellator, over the course of the next four years, he participated in 9 fights altogether which helped him to reach the next level as he won the Bellator Welterweight Championship. He never lost the title, and instead vacated it, when he left the company to join One Championship in 2013.
He fought in One Championship without losing a single fight, continuing his undefeated streak, as he does not have a single loss on his record. During his run, he won the One Welterweight Championship and vacated it when he left the company.
Ben Askren was traded for Demetrious Johnson in late-2018, with Demetrious Johnson heading to One FC while Askren came to UFC. This sparked all sorts of conversations, including a rumour which is yet to die down, about UFC possibly shutting down their Flyweight Division. He was supposed to face Robbie Lawler at UFC 233, but after the event was cancelled, their fight was shifted to UFC 235 instead.
On November 18th 2019, Ben Askren announced his retirement from MMA.
Jorge Masvidal, the 34-year-old welterweight destroyed the previously unbeaten Ben Askren in the fastest knock-out in UFC history with a flying knee.
Masvidal and Askren had been jawing at each other all week in the lead up to UFC 239, obviously Masvidal ended that quickly. The strategy was brilliant, as Askren attempts to dive in and out-wrestle every opponent. Masvidal knew that and unleashed a perfect flying knee to the head.
| Matches | Wins | Losses | No Contest |
| 22 | 19 | 2 | 1 |
Listed below is the MMA and UFC professional record breakdown of Ben "Funky" Askren:
| Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date |
| Loss | 19-2 (1) | Demian Maia | Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC Fight Night 162: Maia vs Askren | October 26, 2019 |
| Loss | 19–1 (1) | Jorge Masvidal | KO (flying knee) | UFC 239 | July 6, 2019 |
| Win | 19–0 (1) | Robbie Lawler | Technical Submission (bulldog choke) | UFC 235 | March 2, 2019 |
| Win | 18–0 (1) | Shinya Aoki | TKO (punches) | ONE Championship 62: Immortal Pursuit | November 24, 2017 |
| Win | 17–0 (1) | Zebaztian Kadestam | TKO (punches) | ONE Championship 58: Shanghai | September 2, 2017 |
| Win | 16–0 (1) | Agilan Thani | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | ONE Championship 54: Dynasty of Heroes | May 26, 2017 |
| Win | 15–0 (1) | Nikolay Aleksakhin | Decision (unanimous) | ONE Championship 41: Global Rivals | April 15, 2016 |
| NC | 14–0 (1) | Luis Santos | NC (accidental eye poke) | ONE Championship 26: Valor of Champions | April 24, 2015 |
| Win | 14–0 | Nobutatsu Suzuki | TKO (punches) | ONE FC 19: Reign of Champions | August 29, 2014 |
| Win | 13–0 | Bakhtiyar Abbasov | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | ONE FC 16: Honor and Glory | May 30, 2014 |
| Win | 12–0 | Andrey Koreshkov | TKO (punches) | Bellator 97 | July 31, 2013 |
| Win | 11–0 | Karl Amoussou | TKO (doctor stoppage) | Bellator 86 | January 24, 2013 |
| Win | 10–0 | Douglas Lima | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 64 | April 6, 2012 |
| Win | 9–0 | Jay Hieron | Decision (split) | Bellator 56 | October 29, 2011 |
| Win | 8–0 | Nick Thompson | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 40 | April 9, 2011 |
| Win | 7–0 | Lyman Good | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 33 | October 21, 2010 |
| Win | 6–0 | Dan Hornbuckle | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 22 | June 17, 2010 |
| Win | 5–0 | Ryan Thomas | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 19 | May 20, 2010 |
| Win | 4–0 | Ryan Thomas | Technical Submission (guillotine choke) | Bellator 14 | April 15, 2010 |
| Win | 3–0 | Matt Delanoit | Submission (north-south choke) | Max Fights DM: Ballroom Brawl | August 28, 2009 |
| Win | 2–0 | Mitchell Harris | Submission (reverse arm-triangle choke) | Headhunter Productions: The Patriot Act 2 | April 25, 2009 |
| Win | 1–0 | Josh Flowers | TKO (punches) | Headhunter Productions: The Patriot Act | February 7, 2009 |
Ben Askren got married to his wife Amy Askren on April 9, 2010. With the marriage of about a decade, the couple is also blessed with three children.
Ben Askren is a famous Olympic wrestler and former UFC Champion and his net worth are estimated above $10 million. Apart from his net worth, his annual salary is reported to be around $500,000.
