Ben Askren's Career, Recovery, and Farewell to Competition
Ben Askren's wrestling career, 2025 double lung transplant, 2026 farewell match at RAF 11, and the coaching and mindset lessons behind his legacy.
By Eric Lundgren · · 6 min read
Ben Askren's return to wrestling in 2026 followed a much more consequential fight for his health. After severe pneumonia and a double lung transplant in 2025, the former Olympian wrestled one more match at RAF 11 in Milwaukee the following July, then retired from competition.
His story connects several parts of wrestling: NCAA success, international competition, the move into MMA, and years of coaching through Askren Wrestling Academy.
TL;DR
- Askren underwent a double lung transplant in 2025 after severe pneumonia, according to his public account reported by the Associated Press.
- He returned to competition against Belal Muhammad at RAF 11 on July 18, 2026. RAF records a 6–3 loss, and USA Wrestling reported that he left his boots on the mat to signal his retirement.
- His career includes two NCAA titles and two Hodge Trophies at Missouri, the 2008 Olympics, Bellator and ONE titles, a UFC run, and induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2026.
- Askren Wrestling Academy continues his coaching legacy through youth and high school wrestling programs.
- His RAF 11 farewell closed a competitive career spanning college wrestling, the Olympics, and MMA.
What happened
In July 2025, the Associated Press reported that Askren was recovering from a double lung transplant after severe pneumonia. The report drew on his public recovery update. Associated Press reporting.
His later return to wrestling is a public milestone, rather than an assessment of his current health.
The farewell match: RAF 11
Askren faced Belal Muhammad at RAF 11 on July 18, 2026, in Milwaukee. RAF's official athlete record lists a 6–3 defeat. Afterward he left his boots on the mat, signaling his retirement from competition, USA Wrestling reported.
The match closed a competitive career that spans college wrestling, the Olympics, and MMA, alongside years of coaching.
From college wrestling to the Olympics and MMA
Askren's career is one of the most stylistically distinct in American combat sports.
NCAA dominance at Missouri
Askren won two NCAA titles at 174 pounds for Missouri (2006, 2007), reached four straight NCAA finals, and won back-to-back Hodge Trophies, the award presented annually to the top college wrestler. His college career became closely associated with the funk style — unorthodox scrambling and a willingness to take "wrong" positions and win from them anyway.
Olympic team (2008)
Askren represented the USA at the Beijing Olympics at 74 kg. He didn't medal, and he moved into professional MMA the following year.
Bellator and ONE Championship dominance
Before the UFC, Askren won the Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight titles and went unbeaten from his 2009 professional debut until 2019.
The UFC chapter
Askren's UFC run was short. He beat Robbie Lawler in his debut in March 2019 and retired from MMA later that year after his loss to Demian Maia. His UFC chapter sits alongside an earlier undefeated run and titles in Bellator and ONE.
Hall of Fame
In June 2026, Askren was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member.
Askren Wrestling Academy and coaching
Askren's coaching work extends his career beyond his own competition results.
Askren Wrestling Academy is a youth and high school wrestling organization with multiple Wisconsin locations. Its official website lists training programs and camps. The coaching work is an important part of Askren's impact beyond his own results.
Ocean's catalog also includes courses from wrestlers who came through the academy:
- Keegan O'Toole — two-time NCAA champion at Missouri, U20 and U23 World champion. Cradles from Everywhere
- Parker Keckeisen — 2024 NCAA champion at 184 for Northern Iowa. Advanced Handfighting + Footwork
- Mitchell Mesenbrink — Overtie Offense, focused on offense from the outside tie.
- Aeoden Sinclair — Arm Drags + Slide Bys, focused on creating angles from ties.
Askren's own Ocean instructional, Learning from Losses, covers responses to adversity through three choices: digging in, pivoting, and innovating. Its published description presents it as a mindset course for athletes and other learners.
What "funk wrestling" actually means
Funk wrestling is a term closely associated with Askren's college style.
It isn't a single move — it's an approach to scrambling. Wrestlers are usually taught to avoid certain positions because they're considered "bad" (hips out of position, base lost). Funk wrestlers train to score from those positions.
The idea is that many wrestlers freeze in a so-called bad position because they have rarely practiced winning from there. The funk wrestler keeps moving and looks for the leg, the back, or the scramble exit that produces points.
Scrambling experience can be useful in no-gi grappling, but the rules and submission threats require adjustments. Wrestling instincts should be adapted with coaching.
What this story teaches us
Askren's competitive achievements, coaching work, and return to wrestling are distinct parts of the same career. His public recovery story brought attention from people who knew different parts of that career.
For a younger athlete, the useful sporting lesson is to keep a loss in perspective and seek support when circumstances change. A life-threatening illness should not be framed as something an athlete overcomes through competitive mindset alone.
Frequently asked questions
What happened to Ben Askren?
He underwent a double lung transplant in 2025 after severe pneumonia. The Associated Press reported on his public recovery update that July.
Is Ben Askren OK now?
He wrestled one match in July 2026 and retired from competition afterward. That is a public milestone, not a medical assessment of his current condition.
What was Ben Askren's wrestling career?
Two-time NCAA champion and two-time Hodge Trophy winner at Missouri, 2008 Olympian at 74 kg, Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight champion, UFC fighter, and a 2026 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Distinguished Member.
What is "funk wrestling"?
Funk wrestling is the unorthodox scrambling style associated with Askren's college career — winning from positions that traditional wrestling treats as defensive. It emphasizes movement, leverage, and finishing from non-traditional angles.
Did Ben Askren ever win in the UFC?
Yes. He beat former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler in his UFC debut in March 2019.
Is Ben Askren coaching now?
Askren Wrestling Academy lists youth and high school wrestling programs and camps through its official website. Check its current coaching information and schedules for details.
Does Ben Askren have an instructional on Athletes Ocean?
Yes — Learning from Losses, a wrestling mindset course on turning failure into success.
Sources
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Eric Lundgren writes about wrestling, grappling, and the systems behind elite-level technique.
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