Ben Askren MMA Debut 7-Feb-2009

**Jack Rusher** · Posted On: 2/06/2009 11:52am

Awesome Olympian funk-wrestler and BJJ purple belt Ben Askren will fight his first pro MMA match tomorrow night in Columbia, Missouri. More info and a nice interview here.

If a video shows surfaces on the 'net, please post it in this thread.

**Hesperus** · Posted On: 2/06/2009 12:51pm

He's a welterweight, I take it?

**Jack Rusher** · Posted On: 2/09/2009 10:58am

Originally Posted by Hesperus

He's a welterweight, I take it?

Yeah, they fought at 170. The video is embedded in this page. It's not much of a fight, but I look forward to seeing more from Askren.

**Fighting Cephalopod** · Posted On: 2/09/2009 1:03pm

I was impressed with the way he went immediately for mount and repeatedly reclaimed it after his opponent recovered half guard. That kind of focus on positional progression is what a lot of wrestlers struggle with initially.

**Squerlli** · Posted On: 2/09/2009 1:41pm

LMFAO!!! His fucking coach dropped him after trying to pick him up, XD!!!

Stand up wise, he has a lot to learn, but hopefully we'll see more of him, I was really impressed at how technical and precise his takedowns and ground game were.

**Jack Rusher** · Posted On: 2/09/2009 4:32pm

Originally Posted by Fighting Cephalopod

I was impressed with the way he went immediately for mount and repeatedly reclaimed it after his opponent recovered half guard. That kind of focus on positional progression is what a lot of wrestlers struggle with initially.

That's one of the interesting things about Askren. He has a crazy, funky wrestling game that works off his long, flexible limbs, as if a BJJ player like Ryan Hall or David Bass were doing amateur wrestling:

YouTube - The Quintessential Ben Askren DVD Set

And it really works for him:

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

Ben had a dominant Junior season in 2005-2006, winning all 45 of the matches he wrestled, pinning in 25 of those matches. He won the 174 pound weight class easily at both the Big 12 and NCAA Championships. He won his Big 12 finals match 17-6 over Jacob Klein of Nebraska and his NCAA finals match 14-2 over another wrestler who was undefeated going into the NCAA finals Jake Herbert of Northwestern. His outstanding season earned him the Outstanding Wrestler award at the NCAA Championships as well as the Dan Hodge Trophy and the Rev Wrestler of the Year.

He continued that dominance going into his Senior year in 2006-2007, going undefeated again with a record of 42-0. He won his second consecutive NCAA Championship at 174 pounds by defeating second-ranked Keith Gavin of Pittsburgh, 8-2. Ben finished his collegiate career with an 87 match winning streak. He also became only the second person ever to win the Dan Hodge Trophy twice, as W.I.N. Magazine named the 2007 winner. Ben was also once again named the Rev Wrestler of the Year. Ironically, Jake Herbert, who Ben defeated in the finals in 2006, moved up a weight to 184 in 2007, to claim outstanding wrestler honors at the NCAA. Ben finished his collegiate wrestling career with a record of 153-8, with 91 of those victories coming by way of fall. Those 91 pins put him at third on the all-time NCAA Division I pins list. He was also a four-time All American, including being only the twelfth Division I wrestler ever to be a four-time finalist.

Plus, to put it as my Brazilian coaches might, he train good:

YouTube - Ben Askren mma training