Ben Askren announces retirement from MMA

By Tom Taylor - November 18, 2019

Ben Askren has announced his retirement from MMA.

Ben Askren, Conor McGregor, Nick Diaz

Askren made this announcement on Monday’s edition of Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show, adding that he requires a hip replacement, and will undergo this complicated procedure now that his fighting days are done.

“I am retiring from the spot of mixed martial arts,” Askren told Helwani (via ESPN’s Marc Raimondi).

Askren added that he refrained from bringing his hip issues up until now as he didn’t want people to attribute his losses to the injury.

Ben Askren made his UFC debut this year, after ONE Championship traded him to the promotion in exchange for long-time UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson.

He won his first fight with the promotion — albeit in controversial fashion — submitting former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler with a bulldog choke in the first round. Unfortunately for Askren, that’s where his winning ways would end.

After a perfect 19-0 start to his MMA career, he was knocked out by Jorge Masvidal in his next bout, and submitted by Demian Maia in his most recent fight — the fight that will go down as the last of his career.

Prior to joining the UFC, Askren went 7-0 in ONE Championship, where he was the welterweight champion. Highlights of his run with the Singapore-based promotion include wins over Shinya Aoki, and former ONE welterweight champ Zebaztian Kadestam.

Before joining ONE, Askren enjoyed a long and successful stint with Bellator MMA, where was also the welterweight champion. During his time with Bellator, he picked up wins over names like current Bellator welterweight champ Douglas Lima, former Bellator welterweight champ Andrey Koreshkov, Jay Hieron, and current UFC welterweight contender Lyman Good.

Askren’s combat sports career began on the wrestling mats. Before he’d even strapped on MMA gloves, he competed in the Olympics.

Suffice it to say that he has had a truly incredible combat sports career.

What are your thoughts on the retirement of Ben Askren?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 11/18/2019. 

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


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