Ben Askren
Active 2019–present · rated in 1 edition · peak overall 82.0
Scouting report
Capturing two NCAA Division I national titles, competing in the 2008 Olympics, and holding world titles in Bellator and ONE, Ben "Funky" Askren brought wrestling control to MMA. Hailing from Hartland, Wisconsin, Askren debuted in the UFC with a submission of former champion Robbie Lawler using his signature "funk" scrambles and top rides. His wrestling is reflected in a 96 Wrestling and 88 Cardio, sustaining an 82 Overall score.
Peak ratings
Ben Askren, the Olympic wrestler who took his takedowns to a cage
Ben Askren wrestled at the University of Missouri at 174 pounds, alongside future champions Tyron Woodley and Michael Chandler. He won two NCAA titles and multiple Dan Hodge Trophies, finished 153-8, and made the 2008 Olympic team. In MMA he won the Bellator welterweight title in October 2010 over Lyman Good and held it for years. He later won the ONE welterweight title by stopping Nobutatsu Suzuki in August 2014. In his first fight in the big promotion in March 2019 he beat Robbie Lawler with a bulldog choke.
Askren, by attribute
Boxing. Rated 64. He was never a striker, though he did land a spinning back fist on Nick Thompson.
Kickboxing. The lowest number on his card at 55. Jorge Masvidal knocked him out with a flying knee five seconds into their 2019 fight.
Wrestling. The top of the card at 96. It is the base for everything he did in the cage.
BJJ. Rated 86. He won gold at the 2009 FILA grappling world championships and finished several fights with arm triangles.
Strength. Rated 82. He held opponents down for round after round in Bellator.
Durability. Rated 84. He took an upkick from Lyman Good and still won the decision on all three cards.
Cardio. Rated 88. He outstruck Andrey Koreshkov 248 to 3 in a fight he won by TKO in round four.
Fight IQ. Rated 84. He built a wrestling-first style and stuck to it against most of his opponents.
Wrestling at 96 is the reason he is on the board
Wrestling is his top rating at 96, and his resume supports it. He won the Dan Hodge Trophy as both a junior and a senior at Missouri. In Bellator he took Good down and controlled him in every round in 2010. Against Koreshkov he landed 248 strikes to his opponent's 3. Very few fighters at any weight are rated this high in wrestling.
Kickboxing at 55 is a serious hole
Kickboxing is his lowest rating by a large margin at 55. The result that best shows it is the Masvidal fight, where a flying knee ended the fight in five seconds, the fastest knockout in the promotion's history. Jake Paul also stopped him in the first round of a 2021 boxing match. Against a fighter who can keep the fight standing, that number becomes the story.
Keep exploring
Closest welterweight profiles to Ben Askren, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Jake Shieldsbest bjj 92 · weakest kickboxing 64
- Jon Fitchbest cardio 92 · weakest kickboxing 68
- Michael Chiesabest bjj 88 · weakest kickboxing 68
- Demian Maiabest bjj 98 · weakest kickboxing 66
- Welterweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Ben Askren's strongest attribute, Wrestling.
Draft Ben Askren into your build
Ben Askren enters the pool on any spin landing on welterweight between 2018 and 2019. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Ben Askren is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Ben Askren's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.