Who is Ben Askren?
Ben Askren is a former mixed martial artist from the United States who is maybe better known to wrestling fans and followers of mixed martial arts as “Funky.”
The former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter and former Olympic wrestler are also included in the record books as the ONE Welterweight Champion and Bellator Welterweight Champion, respectively.
But even though you are well-versed in his stage career and a fan of his fighting prowess, you might not know much about his private life. How much money will Ben have in 2020? What led him to begin his career?
Relationship Details, Ben Askren is Married?
In front of their friends and family, Ben married Amy Askren on April 9, 2010. He has so far given birth to three kids—a son and two daughters—with her.
Ben is also spotted spending time with his wife and kids while on trips and vacations.
As a result, he should have had a happy marriage, and Amy was quite supportive of his professional endeavors. His children’s specifics, though, have not been discovered.
Quick facts about Ben Askren
| Full Name | Benjamin Michael Askren |
| Birth Date | July 18, 1984 |
| Birth Place | Cedar Rapids, Iowa, US |
| Nickname | Funky |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
Ben Askren: Early Life, Age, Wiki, Parents, Ethnicity
On July 18, 1984, Ben was born in Cedar Rapids, the second-largest city in Iowa. Chuck and Michele Askren gave birth to him. Additionally, he grew up alongside his brother Max Askren.
Like him, Max is a professional wrestler who took home a national title in 2010. Ben has reared a Christian and was a Christian at birth.
Education, Schooling, University
Ben attended Arrowhead High School to continue his high school studies, continuing our discussion of his education.
Notably, he twice represented the school in the wrestling state finals. His enrollment at the University of Missouri followed.
He was employed by Arizona State University as an assistant wrestling coach at the same time. He won numerous honorable wrestling honors throughout his undergraduate time, which boosted his professional career.
Professional Career, (Mixed Martial Art Fighter)
During his collegiate wrestling career, he competed in the 174-pound weight class. Importantly, he participated in amateur wrestling at his institution.
After suffering back-to-back losses in the same competition in 2004 and 2005, he won the National Collegiate Athletic Association Championship match in 2006 and 2007. He continues to hold the NCAA single-season pin record.
In addition, he took home gold at the 2006 and 2007 Big 12 Championships. He had a 42-0 record and was undefeated during the 2006–2007 season.
Also, in 2004, 2006, and 2007, he captured the Big 12 Conference Championship. In those days, he was renowned for his unconventional “funky” wrestling style and his pinning prowess.
He concluded his NCAA wrestling career with a stellar 87-match winning streak and a 153-8 record.
Specifically, just two opponents—Chris Pendleton of Oklahoma State and Ryan Lange of Purdue—were victorious over Ben throughout his four years at Missouri.
Similar to this, he beat national runner-up Tyrone Lewis at the US Olympic Trials to earn a spot in the 2008 Summer Olympics. And he won his opening match while competing in the 74 kg weight division.
Due to his loss to Ivan Fundora of Cuba in the round of eight and Fundora’s subsequent defeat in the quarterfinal, he was forced to withdraw from the competition without receiving a medal. Following the match, Ben said:
Ben ended his wrestling career as a result. However, he occasionally engaged in wrestling.
After that, he defeated Cuba’s Fundora in the semifinals of the 2010 Cerro Pelado International to atone for his Olympic loss.
He also competed in the Flo Premier League and the Agon Wrestling Championships.
Ben began his fighting training at the primary American Top Team academy in Florida after the Olympics. He defeated Josh Flowers in his professional MMA debut on February 7, 2009, in Columbia.
After that, he defeated Mitchell Harris in his second fight at Patriot Act 2 in Columbia. The 2009 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship was the next event in which he competed.
Ben defeated Toni Linden in the first match, but Pablo Popovitch eliminated him in the second encounter. Later, at the 2009 FILA 2o World Grappling Championship, he took home the gold in the 84 kg category.
Fighting Championship Bellator
Ben then participated in the Season 2 Welterweight Tournament of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Ryan Thomas was defeated by Ben at Bellator 14 and in the rematch at Bellator 19.
After defeating Dan Hornbuckle in all three rounds at Bellator 22, he was then named the competition’s champion. At Bellator 40, 56, 64, and 86, he successfully defended the title four times in a row.
The victory over Andrey Koreshkov at Bellator 97 was his last match before his deal with the organization expired in November 2013.
He got a two-year deal with ONE Championship after being released. On May 30, Ben defeated Bakhtiyar Abbasov in the ONE Fighting Championship: Honor and Glory fight, ending his nine-fight winning streak.
He later defeated Nobutastsu Suzuki at ONE FC: Reign of Champions, and on August 29, 2014, he was crowned the new ONE Welterweight Champion.
UFC
Ben joined the UFC on November 3, 2018, as part of the “exchange UFC and ONE Championship agreement,” which is another important detail.
Notably, he defeated former UFC Welterweight Champion Robbie Lawler in a contentious matchup on his UFC debut at UFC 235.
“You kind of wonder, ‘Does he understand what he’s getting into?’ when someone decides to enter the UFC without a background in combat sports?”
Later, he suffered two losses: the fastest knockout in UFC history against Jorge Masvidal and the award-winning defeat to Demian Maia in the “Fight of the Night” contest. Finally, he ended his MMA career on November 18, 2019.
In April 2021, a fight card featuring social media sensation Jake Paul and Ben Askren took place that caught many people off guard. Well, Paul sealed the triumph with a knockout within less than two minutes into the fight.
Not to mention that it was referred to as one of Ben Askren’s most embarrassing battles. According to Askren, if he displayed his combat skills, he would have no chance against Paul.
“He didn’t come prepared,’ In the weigh-ins the day before, I mentioned it. You, my friend, are underestimating me, I remarked. And how he entered was quite unprofessional. Jacob Paul
Logan Paul, Jake’s brother, referred to Ben Askren as a “genius” after their match.
Paul said that the total money he received from this fight made him worth $65 million. Additionally, according to his Instagram post, the battle attracted a staggering 1.3 million pay-per-view viewers, and he earned six figures from it.
Ben Askren: Awards & Accomplishments
In his 45 victories during the 2005–2006 collegiate season, Askren was pinned 25 times, earning him the Schalles Award for Top Collegiate Pinner of the Year in 2006 and 2007.
He won the NCAA Division I Championship there in 2006 and 2007 and finished as an All-American finalist in Division I for four straight years starting in 2004.
In 2006 and 2007, he received the Dan Hodge Trophy for Collegiate Wrestler of the Year. In 2012, the University of Missouri honored him with a membership in the Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame.
Similar to this, Askren won gold medals at the Senior Freestyle events of the 2005 Pan American Championships, the Senior Freestyle events of the 2007 and 2009 Hargobind International Tournament,
The most notable competitions were the FILA 2009 Grappling World Championships Senior No-Gi, the 2007 NYAC Holiday International Open Senior Freestyle, and the 2010 Dave Schultz Memorial International Open Senior Freestyle.
He won the Senior No-Gi FILA World Team Trials in 2009 and the USA Senior Freestyle National Championship in 2008.
Ben also took home the welterweight championship for Bellator Season 2. He has also successfully defended the belt for the most consecutive years in Bellator history (four).
In addition, he has successfully made three title defenses as the ONE Welterweight Champion since gaining it in 2014.
Ben plays disc golf competitively in addition to these other sports. He finished second in the 2011 United States Amateur Disc Golf Championship, for instance.
2009 Mighty MO Advanced: 1st place; 2006 Alabama Amateur Open Intermediate: 3rd place; 2009 First Class Challenge: 3rd place.
He also placed fourth in the 2009 PDGA Amateur World Doubles Championships Advanced in addition to this.
Net Worth, Salary, Assets
Ben Askren’s net worth was about $10 million as of August 2021. The majority of his wealth came from his professional MMA fighting career.
Above all, it is alleged in certain web sources that he made over $830,500 in career earnings from the UFC, which is unquestionably more than the average professional earns in the field.
His UFC debut brought in $353,000 for him. That was certainly impressive!
As of right now, Wisconsin’s Hartland, Mequon, and Green Bay are the locations where Ben and his brother Max operate the “Askren Wrestling Academy,” a wrestling school.
Additionally, he co-hosts two weekly wrestling podcasts with Front Row Brian and Tommy Rowlands, “The Funky & FRB Show” and “The T-Row & Funky Show,” as well as his own “RUDIS Wrestling Podcast.” He also has sponsorship deals with Dollamur Sport, My Bookie, and Reebok.
He is sponsored by Discraft and has reportedly made cryptocurrency investments.
To be clear, some sources state that he currently earns a total of about $500,000 per year. Additionally, he has owned Rolls Royce and other high-end vehicles in addition to his Lamborghini.
In summary, he leads a contented, affluent existence. And he deserves it all after all the years of conflict both on and off the stage.
Rumors and Controversy
Talking about his rumors and controversy, he has not been in any part of rumors as well as controversy to date.
What is the Height of Ben Askren? Weight, Full Body Status
Ben Askren, who was born in 1984, will be 36 years old in June 2021. He is under the sign of Cancer. He is an American citizen who was born here and is pursuing a career here.
Ben’s retirement was several years ago. He has continued to keep his athletic physique as a result.
He is 5 feet 10 inches tall and 77 kg heavy (170 lbs). In conclusion, Ben is a rather handsome guy with dark brown hair and bluish eyes.
Social Media Accounts
Of course, Askren makes use of a variety of social media sites, including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
He has 349,000 Twitter followers, and 626,000 Instagram followers, and as of September 2021, his Facebook profile had 70,957 fans. He also appears to be regularly adding posts and reading the comments.
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