Former Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight world champion Ben Askren has introduced his retirement from MMA following his newest stint within the UFC.
Askren introduced his retirement on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Present on ESPN on Monday as he known as time on his decade-long profession in combined martial arts.
The previous NCAA Division I newbie wrestling standout earned a spot on the US Olympic workforce earlier in his profession earlier than transitioning to MMA and changing into a dominant pressure at 170 kilos as he used his prodigious capability on the mats, together with an ever-evolving submission sport, to go undefeated for 10 years.
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That run noticed him seize the welterweight titles in each Bellator and ONE Championship as he grew to become among the best 170-pound fighters outdoors of the UFC.
However that nagging query of how he would possibly do within the octagon was lastly answered when he was signed by the UFC following his retirement from ONE Championship as a part of an historic “commerce” that noticed Demetrious Johnson depart the UFC to affix ONE.
Askren’s debut was an exciting one, as he produced a come-from-behind efficiency to defeat former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler, after which he taunted the remainder of the division by remarking: “Hey Dana (White)! Is that actually the most effective you have received?”
Askren then went on to face Jorge Masvidal at UFC 239 throughout Worldwide Combat Week in July 2019, the place his unbeaten run was spectacularly halted by Masvidal’s flying knee after simply 5 seconds for the quickest knockout in UFC historical past.
And, most lately, Askren misplaced to Demian Maia of their battle of elite MMA grapplers at UFC Singapore.
After back-to-back losses within the octagon, many questioned what Askren’s subsequent transfer can be, and now it has been revealed, with Askren confirming his retirement.
“I’m retiring from the game of combined martial arts. I am retired from the whole lot,” he stated.
“I’ve been having hip issues, and I lastly had the dialogue with my physician. I truly received the MRI earlier than my final combat, and I want a hip substitute.
“Man, that’s it for me. I’ve been fascinated by this for per week and what I used to be going to say. I’ve been stuffed with gratitude for a way nice of a profession I’ve been capable of have, although clearly ultimately, it didn’t go my means.”
His detractors will level to his UFC stint as proof that he wasn’t ever among the best welterweights on the earth, however Askren takes a special view as he assessed his profession.
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“Man, how fortunate I’ve been to have the quantity of success that I’ve had,” he stated.
“Simply because I wasn’t ok in 2019 doesn’t take away from any of the earlier issues I’ve completed.
“I’ve achieved nearly the whole lot you may within the sport. However when it got here to attaining the 2 greatest issues on the earth – the Olympic gold medal after which proving you’re the most effective fighter on the earth – I got here up a bit of bit quick.
“So a bit of little bit of it sucks, however man, what a life.”
