The Ben Askren Retirement & Tribute Thread

[Meathead Jock]

https://www.flocombat.com/articles/...-triumphant-final-bow-at-one-immortal-pursuit

Ben Askren Preparing For Triumphant Final Bow At ONE: Immortal Pursuit
View Full 2017 ONE Championship: Immortal PursuitCoverage
Nov 21, 2017Duane Finley
ONE Championship

Ben Askren has never marched to the beat of another man’s drum.

The two-time NCAA Division I national champion wrestler and former Olympian turned mixed martial arts titleholder has done things his own way every step of his journey. Therefore, it should come as no surprise the “Funky” one is deciding when that journey will end.

After nearly a decade spent battering and dominating his opposition inside the cage, the Milwaukee native has deemed his upcoming bout at ONE: Immortal Pursuit in Singapore on Friday to be his last. In a sport in which so many fighters get out far after their prime has faded, Askren aims to be one of the few who begins the next phase of his life with more than a highlight reel to his credit.

Watch ONE: Immortal Pursuit LIVE on FloCombat

Simply put: Askren has accomplished everything he set out to do, with one final notch to be claimed in defeating legendary Japanese grappler Shinya Aoki this weekend.

“Shinya is a really good final opponent,” Askren told ONEFC.com. “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.

“I had been planning this out for a while. I have been pretty open about it,” he added. “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.

“I said from day one that I am the best in the world at what I do, and this is what I am going to do every single time. I have been saying that since I started in 2009, and I believe it more strongly than ever because I have proved it 17 times now, and I am pumped to prove it again.”

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[JacJeanFinger]

Everything is fine. Thank you

 

[Fluffernutter]

Good money.

Still has his health.

Started a business with his brother (their wrestling academy).

Made a wise decision.

 

[Falconkick]

Does he make money competing in disc golf? Sorry if this is a dumb question just curious cause I know he is pretty damn good at that too.

Also war Askren. You are a bad ass. Always enjoyed watching you dominate dudes....I know how that sounds, but enjoy retirement boss

 

[Meathead Jock]

Does he make money competing in disc golf? Sorry if this is a dumb question just curious cause I know he is pretty damn good at that too.

Also war Askren. You are a bad ass. Always enjoyed watching you dominate dudes....I know how that sounds, but enjoy retirement boss

Pretty sure he makes no money from disc golf. He finished as a top 10 AMATEUR in the world at his disc golf peak. It looks like he went pro shortly after but barely competes and has made a career earnings of 25 dollars.

His post fighting money will come by way of ONE FC desk job, 3 wrestling academies in Wisconsin, and some sort of partial owner of flosports (flocombat/flowrestling). Hebhas always said he would take the head coaching job at University of Wisconsin or Missouri if offered. If his academies get enough h.s. studs he could get offered one day with the hope and assumption that he can keep the top talent in state.

 

[Bluesbreaker]

Good money.

Still has his health.

Started a business with his brother (their wrestling academy).

Made a wise decision.

Winning at life.

 

[Falconkick]

Pretty sure he makes no money from disc golf. He finished as a top 10 AMATEUR in the world at his disc golf peak. It looks like he went pro shortly after but barely competes and has made a career earnings of 25 dollars.

His post fighting money will come by way of ONE FC desk job, 3 wrestling academies in Wisconsin, and some sort of partial owner of flosports (flocombat/flowrestling). Hebhas always said he would take the head coaching job at University of Wisconsin or Missouri if offered. If his academies get enough h.s. studs he could get offered one day with the hope and assumption that he can keep the top talent in state.

You seem like a good guy to ask. What is Askren purses for his ONE fights any idea or?

 

[Warehouse]

It's always great to see someone leave on their own terms and having plenty of opportunities/ventures outside fighting. He's also fortunate to have taken virtually no significant damage during his fighting career, that's quite an accomplishment as well.

 

[ZafroTexas]

Shame we never saw him in the UFC or even back in Bellator.

 

[Meathead Jock]

You seem like a good guy to ask. What is Askren purses for his ONE fights any idea or?

Never has been fully confirmed. He got 100k for his first win in ONE and said with each win that his contract was written to go up. So i'd assume AT LEAST 150K probably in the 200K range?

I also know he was not nearly as active as he wished to be while with ONE but they paid him small checks due to their inability to keep him as active as they spoke of when he signed. No idea how much those are for but its never bad to get paid for sitting on the sidelines.

 

[Cantalope]

Ben a fan of Askren since his MU Wrestling days. People will complain he never made it to the UFC but I blame Dana for that and not Ben.

 

[Meathead Jock]

One giving Askren a proper send-off full of respect with this video for a short stint; the UFC and Rogan couldn't even say a word for Goldbergs last show though.

 

[Falconkick]

Never has been fully confirmed. He got 100k for his first win in ONE and said with each win that his contract was written to go up. So i'd assume AT LEAST 150K probably in the 200K range?

I also know he was not nearly as active as he wished to be while with ONE but they paid him small checks due to their inability to keep him as active as they spoke of when he signed. No idea how much those are for but its never bad to get paid for sitting on the sidelines.

I do recall those undisclosed cheques in between fights. I'm no car guy but that's got to be a very expensive car they gave him. Wonder if he will flip it or keep it lol

 

[mjmj]

Ben a fan of Askren since his MU Wrestling days. People will complain he never made it to the UFC but I blame Dana for that and not Ben.

How so? Dana White said numerous times he was interested in talking to Askren. Even if they didn't work things out at first, he still would have been welcome in the future but he insisted on burning bridges. To this day I can't understand a so-called grown man throwing such a tantrum for not getting his way.

 

[Meathead Jock]

How so? Dana White said numerous times he was interested in talking to Askren. Even if they didn't work things out at first, he still would have been welcome in the future but he insisted on burning bridges. To this day I can't understand a so-called grown man throwing such a tantrum for not getting his way.

Dana had his chance. By the time he allegedally was willing to listen it was probably just lip service knowing Ben was under contract elsewhere.

He was making good money with ONE by the time Dana said anything nice. At best they offer him the same pay and shit all over his performances and give him the toughest opponent matchups while never awarding a title shot like they did to Yoel and Jacare. Ben has all rights to flip them off and collect his paychecks from a company that respects him. Only a man with no self respect would take a shitty deal to join Dana at that point.

 

[mjmj]

Dana had his chance. By the time he allegedally was willing to listen it was probably just lip service knowing Ben was under contract elsewhere.

He was making good money with ONE by the time Dana said anything nice. At best they offer him the same pay and shit all over his performances and give him the toughest opponent matchups while never awarding a title shot like they did to Yoel and Jacare. Ben has all rights to flip them off and collect his paychecks from a company that respects him. Only a man with no self respect would take a shitty deal to join Dana at that point.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...lking-to-free-agent-bellator-champ-ben-askren

 

[Meathead Jock]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...lking-to-free-agent-bellator-champ-ben-askren

Yep. Then Bjorn said they'd release him without matching if they gave him an instant title shot saying Ben was the best in the world.

Basically caused a pissing match and Dana didn't want Bjorn to start bragging up Bellator if he called out Dana about having better talent that could go invade and beat GSP. So it and other reasons (war of words and wrestling style) caused them to tell Askren they werent interested once they met him before even discussing money. Dana later said "he's just not my kind of guy and said he needed to build his resume a bit more before getting in" which is ridiculous given verrrrrrrry few fighters have ever been signed with a better resume. If it was a money issue Dana would have said it; he has never had a problem calling out a fighter for asking for too much.

 

[DaPunkMinowaMan]

Yep. Then Bjorn said they'd release him without matching if they gave him an instant title shot saying Ben was the best in the world.

Basically caused a pissing match and Dana didn't want Bjorn to start bragging up Bellator if he called out Dana about having better talent that could go invade and beat GSP. So it and other reasons (war of words and wrestling style) caused them to tell Askren they werent interested once they met him before even discussing money. Dana later said "he's just not my kind of guy and said he needed to build his resume a bit more before getting in" which is ridiculous given verrrrrrrry few fighters have ever been signed with a better resume. If it was a money issue Dana would have said it; he has never had a problem calling out a fighter for asking for too much.

Technically, when u released both Shields and Fitch...

 

[Muay Thai #1]

Never really fought any high level fighters and will be forgotten, though Im sure most people already have

 

[ImNotSurpisedDonks!]

It's always great to see someone leave on their own terms and having plenty of opportunities/ventures outside fighting. He's also fortunate to have taken virtually no significant damage during his fighting career, that's quite an accomplishment as well.

He's one of the few brave that would never be bullied by Dana. He stood his ground and will also go down as one of the most successful wrestlers in MMA. Now that we are seeing how good Bellator WW's are, he is vindicated.