Career Timeline of Ben Askren: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Ben Askren built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Ben Askren is a retired American mixed martial artist, professional boxer, and former Olympic wrestler. He held welterweight titles in both Bellator and ONE Championship, maintaining an undefeated record for many years. He later competed in the UFC before retiring from professional fighting.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2003: Big 12 Conference Championships

During his freshman campaign in 2003-2004, Askren won the Big 12 Conference Championships and placed second at the NCAA Championships.

2004: Big 12 Conference Championships and NCAA Championships

In 2003-2004, Askren won the Big 12 Conference Championships and placed second at the NCAA Championships.

2005: NCAA and Big 12 Championships

During his sophomore campaign in 2004-2005, Askren placed second at both the NCAA and Big 12 Championships.

2005: Pan American Champion

In 2005, Ben Askren was the Pan American champion as a freestyle wrestler.

2006: Dan Hodge Trophy

In 2006, Askren earned his first Dan Hodge Trophy.

2007: US National Championship

In 2007, Askren claimed the US National Championship in wrestling.

2007: Second Dan Hodge Trophy

In 2007, Askren earned his second Dan Hodge Trophy.

2008: Olympic Team Member

In 2008, Ben Askren was a US Olympic Team Member in freestyle wrestling.

2008: Summer Olympics Competition

In 2008, at the Summer Olympics, Askren defeated István Veréb but lost to Iván Fundora.

2008: Faced Jacob Volkmann at FILA 2° World Grappling Championship

In 2009, at the FILA 2° World Grappling Championship, Askren faced the 2008 World Champion, Jacob Volkmann, in the 84 kg no-gi division.

February 7, 2009: Professional MMA Debut

On February 7, 2009, Askren made his professional MMA debut and defeated Josh Flowers via TKO in the first round.

2009: ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship

In 2009, Askren competed at the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, winning his first match but losing his second to Pablo Popovitch.

2009: Amateur World Championships in disc golf

In 2009, Askren finished ninth in the Amateur World Championships in disc golf. Askren is sponsored by Discraft. He is also involved in cryptocurrency investing.

2009: FILA 2° World Grappling Championship Gold Medal

In 2009, Askren won gold at the FILA 2° World Grappling Championship, defeating Jacob Volkmann.

2009: Jake Herbert Defeat

In 2010, Askren defeated 2009 world silver medalist Jake Herbert in a folkstyle rules match at the Midlands Tournament.

April 15, 2010: Bellator 14 Victory

On April 15, 2010, Askren defeated Ryan Thomas via technical submission at Bellator 14, a controversial outcome.

October 21, 2010: Bellator Welterweight Championship Win

On October 21, 2010, Askren defeated Lyman Good via unanimous decision to win the Bellator Welterweight Championship in Philadelphia.

2010: Victory at Cerro Pelado International and Dave Schultz Memorial International

In 2010, Askren won against Fundora in the Cerro Pelado International in Cuba and also won the Dave Schultz Memorial International.

April 6, 2012: Title Defense Against Douglas Lima

On April 6, 2012, Askren successfully defended his Bellator Welterweight title against Douglas Lima at Bellator 64.

January 24, 2013: Title Defense Against Karl Amoussou

On January 24, 2013, Askren defended his title against Karl Amoussou at Bellator 86, winning due to a doctor stoppage because of a cut.

November 14, 2013: Release from Bellator

On November 14, 2013, Bellator announced Askren's release from the company.

December 9, 2013: Signing with ONE Championship

On December 9, 2013, Askren signed a two-year, six-fight contract with ONE Championship.

August 29, 2014: ONE Welterweight Championship Win

On August 29, 2014, Askren defeated Suzuki via TKO to become the new ONE Welterweight Champion at ONE Fighting Championship: Reign of Champions.

April 15, 2016: Victory over Nikolay Aleksakhin

On April 15, 2016, Askren defeated Nikolay Aleksakhin at ONE Championship: Global Warriors by unanimous decision.

May 26, 2017: Victory over Agilan Thani

On May 26, 2017, Askren defeated Agilan Thani via submission at ONE Championship: Dynasty of Heroes.

September 7, 2017: Victory over Zebaztian Kadestam

On September 7, 2017, Askren defeated Zebaztian Kadestam via TKO at ONE Championship: Shanghai.

November 24, 2017: Retirement Following Victory over Shinya Aoki

On November 24, 2017, Askren defeated Shinya Aoki at ONE Championship: Immortal Pursuit and announced his retirement after the fight.

November 3, 2018: Signing with UFC

On November 3, 2018, it was announced that Askren had signed with the UFC in exchange for Demetrious Johnson.

March 2, 2019: UFC Debut Victory over Robbie Lawler

On March 2, 2019, Askren made his UFC debut at UFC 235 and defeated Robbie Lawler via bulldog choke in a controversial stoppage.

May 2019: Loss to Jordan Burroughs

In May 2019, Askren lost to Jordan Burroughs in the Beat the Streets benefit event.

July 6, 2019: Loss to Jorge Masvidal

On July 6, 2019, Askren was knocked out by Jorge Masvidal at UFC 239 in a record-breaking five seconds, ending his undefeated run.

October 26, 2019: Loss to Demian Maia and Fight of the Night Award

On October 26, 2019, Askren lost to Demian Maia at UFC on ESPN+ 20 but earned the Fight of the Night award.

November 18, 2019: Retirement Announcement

On November 18, 2019, Askren announced his official retirement from mixed martial arts competition.

2020: Hip Surgery and Intention to Return to Wrestling

In 2020, after a year in retirement from MMA, Askren announced a successful hip surgery and his intent to return to competitive freestyle wrestling.

April 17, 2021: Boxing Match Loss to Jake Paul

On April 17, 2021, Askren lost a boxing match to Jake Paul by TKO in round one. The fight sold 500,000 PPV buys.

2021: Expressed interest in potential comeback

As early as 2021, Askren repeatedly expressed interest in returning for one more bout in mixed martial arts, should he be able to have a rematch with his former rival Masvidal in the right circumstances, should they be presented in the future.