Ben Askren is just days away from competing in a wrestling match, capping a remarkable personal journey over the past year. The turnaround has been described as one of the most inspirational stories in the history of combat sports.
Ben Askren is set to return to competitive wrestling within days, a development being hailed as one of the most inspirational turnarounds in combat sports history.
Askren, 41, carried a professional MMA record of 19-2 before stepping away from competition. Known by his nickname "Funky," the American fought out of Roufusport and built his reputation as one of the most suffocating grapplers the sport had ever seen. Standing five-foot-eleven with a 73-inch reach, he was an orthodox fighter who averaged 4.33 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career — a figure that placed him among the elite wrestlers to ever compete in MMA. He also landed significant strikes at a rate of 3.64 per minute with 49 percent accuracy, numbers that underline how his grappling-first style still generated consistent offensive output on the feet.
Now 41 and representing the United States, Askren is preparing to step back onto the wrestling mat after what has been described as a remarkable personal journey over the past year. The comeback has drawn widespread attention and praise from within the combat sports community, with observers framing it as among the most moving stories the sport has produced.
Why it matters
- Askren's return keeps one of MMA's most recognizable grappling talents in the competitive spotlight beyond his fighting career
- His elite takedown rate and wrestling pedigree give the moment genuine credibility as a sporting event, not merely a nostalgia act
- The story adds to a broader conversation about athlete resilience and life after professional MMA
