ONE Championship’s next event in Singapore will see the curtain come down on the career of one of the world’s most dominant martial artists.
On 24 November, ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben ‘Funky’ Askren will walk to the cage for the final time at ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT.
He defends his coveted title at the Singapore Indoor Stadium against Japanese legend, Evolve MMA teammate, and former ONE Lightweight Champion Shinya Aoki.
It’s a fitting end to a remarkable career – one that has seen him transition seamlessly from elite wrestler to world-class martial artist, capping his career with the ONE Welterweight Title.
“I had been planning this out for a while. I have been pretty open about it,” the 33-year-old admitted.
“I had this expiration date set on myself, so I said to ONE Championship at the end of 2015 that I have two years left, and then I am done. I am going to walk away.”
True to his word, as the curtain comes down on 2017, it also does so on Askren’s martial arts career, which started way back in the early 2000s, when he was a budding collegiate wrestler looking to progress in the NCAA national tournament.
“What really attracted me to wrestling was it was a one-on-one sport, and you make or break your destiny,” he explained.
“I did not like to let other people control my destiny. I wanted to be in control of my own destiny. I wanted it to be my fault if I won, or my fault if I lost, so I guess I had a hard time with other people having control over my outcomes.”
Askren launched himself into wrestling as a 14-year-old, and had success almost immediately. His natural talent for the sport took him to two state champions during his time at Arrowhead High School, and eventually saw him secure a full scholarship at the University of Missouri in 2002.
Despite high expectations surrounding his arrival in college, Askren didn’t hit the ground running during his formative days at college.
“My freshman year of college is where I had the most struggles,” he recalls.
“I lost 10 matches in six weeks in my first year of college, and so that was really a reality check. That was a point where I always say either you give up, or you love the fight and you figure out how to get better. And I love the challenge.”
It proved to be the making of a legend, as Askren bounced back, worked tirelessly in the training room, and developed his own personal style, which earned him the nickname “Funky” – a moniker he proudly still sports today.
With more training under his belt and his own wrestling style, he thrived, winning back-to-back NCAA Division I Championships in 2006 and 2007.
Talk started to turn towards the Olympic Games of 2008 in Beijing, China, and back-to-back wins over national runner-up Tyrone Lewis at the US Olympic Trials earned Askren a spot.
It was the opportunity Askren had always dreamed of since he was a young boy, but those dreams were dashed in the Olympic tournament, when he lost his first match to Cuban Ivan Fundora on points.
He bounced back to pin Hungary’s Istvan Vereb in his second match, but that first loss was enough to see him eliminated from the competition.
“The heartbreaking thing about the Olympics is you have to wait four years,” he explained.
“You do not get another chance next week or next month or next year. This is not like the cage, where you know you can bounce back and win a title a couple of months later.
“The Olympics is every four years, and so losing and knowing that essentially I had put a lifetime of work into that moment, I kind of knew at that point I probably would not have another shot. But even if I did, it will be four years away. That was really hard to swallow.”
Askren assessed his situation, and made a decision that would transform his career. He resolved to continue his athletic career, swapping the wrestling mat for the martial arts cage.
Wrestling was already considered to be one of the most effective skills in martial arts competition, which gave Askren immediate hope that he could develop his other skills in striking and submissions, and become a success in the cage.
“I think in competing, it caused me to really study everything I can study in,” he said.
“Maybe every style is not going to be mine, but I need to have the knowledge of everything that could possibly happen to me inside the cage, and that is an endless amount of possibility,.
“You study as closely as you can so you are well-prepared, so you know everything that is coming at you.”
Askren’s world-class wrestling base and cerebral approach to his matchups brought instant success in his new pursuit, and he’s never looked back since.
He joined the acclaimed American Top Team and won his debut with a first-round TKO via ground-and-pound. He then followed up with back-to-back submission wins, and sped to a 3-0 record in his first seven months as a pro.
He’s never looked back since. His early wins saw him entered into the Bellator Welterweight Tournament, which he promptly won with three wins in the space of two months. He then claimed the Bellator Welterweight Title in his very next bout.
His overwhelming style of stifling wrestling and a devastating top game became his hallmark, as he dominated opponent after opponent, either finishing them on the canvas, or grinding them into the mat for dominant decision victories.
“I am really effective at what I do,” Askren stated.
“I never made a secret of it, and I always played to my strengths, and that is something a lot of people get away from. They do not play to their strengths, and I always play to my strengths, and I have been very focused and determined on what I do.
“So far, it has worked out well.”
That would be an understatement. After four successive title defences in Bellator, Askren sought a new challenge on the global stage, and joined ONE Championship.
He promptly picked up a debut victory, then finished former champion Nobuatsu Suzuki via first-round TKO to capture the ONE Welterweight Title in August 2014.
Three title defences and one non-title bout later – the challenger had missed weight – Askren faces one final test before he hangs up his gloves for good.
Aoki is a former world champion himself, having captured titles across Asia, culminating in the ONE Lightweight World Championship.
Now, the Japanese legend has stepped up a weight class to give Askren one final challenge before the American calls time on his remarkable career.
“Shinya is a really good final opponent,” said Askren.
“Obviously, he is a legend of the sport, and he is a really big challenge on the ground, which is where I like to compete, personally. I am excited for this bout.”