There is no "type" of wrestler that Ben can be catagorized as. He has created a whole new genre that is unique with his rolling and pinning style. Ben over the last two years of his college career was… + See More +
There is no "type" of wrestler that Ben can be catagorized as. He has created a whole new genre that is unique with his rolling and pinning style. Ben over the last two years of his college career was… + See More
- See Less - There is no "type" of wrestler that Ben can be catagorized as. He has created a whole new genre that is unique with his rolling and pinning style.
Ben over the last two years of his college career was flawless. His first two years were not half bad either, each time going losing in the finals of the NCAA tournament. Ben Askren will mostly be remembered for the entertaining fashion he wrestled his matches. He always had fun and always put on a show for the fans.
In 2008 he won the U.S. Nationals and Olympic trials and competed in the Bejing games. Since then he has continued on as an volunteer wrestling coach and has begun training mma at American Top Team in Columbia, MO. His first fight is likely to be in early 2009.
Hey Mitch...no offense man...you are a game guy. You never turn down fights. I know you have fought alot and I have seen you fight on a few occasions so I know you are not a bum. You come from a great camp. You just aren't next level. Askren sucked here but he is getting better. I was a bit surprised he took you so quick,..I think you might have been fazed by the hype. Ben is getting ez cheezy fights to build up his record but he is getting better. The question is...will he move to the next level?
Mitchell Harris said: “Ok Lets ease the tension real quick! Im the guy that fought BEN and yes that fight was freakin horrible. I made too many mistakes, one after the other. But for anybody to get on here a say that I am not a real fighter. Please contact my manager at truefightfan.com and we can set something up. I have been training for over 5 yrs and have wealth of experience in the gym and the ring. Now my game plan was crap on the ground but believe my bjj skills are better then what you saw. I slipped up made mistakes and got caught. Nextly my record sucks because I fought guys most people wont. Plus I cant get better unless I challenge myslef and yes 9 out 10 times i will beat askren. And I appreciate if u keep ur comment about my family to urself. Not very nice.”
I agree people should never insult family but it is what it is hey you ever find yourself near the STL area you holla at me would rather train with a fighter than a poster boy anyway!
wow said: “askren is one of the most athletic wrestlers in our time! have you watched some of his scrambles in college? so all you haters can all shut up until you win 2 national titles and make it to the olympics.”
again this IS MMA all his pretty awards dont matter you put him in with a great ju-jitsu who doesnt care if hes on his back or so called pinned down whats Ben going to do then seriously I want to fight this guy sh*t you all make him sound like a F***ing god so if I beat him then I would be the God of Gods. His passes were sloppy the choke was sloppy owe ya next time Ben ur with a smaller compact fighter you might want to watch those hips that choke was not controling him . He lost that fight before he ever stepped into the cage.
Ok Lets ease the tension real quick! Im the guy that fought BEN and yes that fight was freakin horrible. I made too many mistakes, one after the other. But for anybody to get on here a say that I am not a real fighter. Please contact my manager at truefightfan.com and we can set something up. I have been training for over 5 yrs and have wealth of experience in the gym and the ring. Now my game plan was crap on the ground but believe my bjj skills are better then what you saw. I slipped up made mistakes and got caught. Nextly my record sucks because I fought guys most people wont. Plus I cant get better unless I challenge myslef and yes 9 out 10 times i will beat askren. And I appreciate if u keep ur comment about my family to urself. Not very nice.
so your saying that he is more athletic than chris pendleton? where as chris not only beat him, but absolutely dominated his life in both ncaa finals they wrestled against each other...
askren is one of the most athletic wrestlers in our time! have you watched some of his scrambles in college? so all you haters can all shut up until you win 2 national titles and make it to the olympics.
WOW sooo many haters on here. half of you would down both sides of your legs if ypu stepped in the octagon and prolly all you haters would for sure get your asses tossed around by Ben. Quit hatin til you got your own videos, own records, and do somethin productive with your lifes lay off askren hes a stud
Hey I happen to dislike baskrin in highschool he was always just that jerkoff that thought his sh!$ didn't stink. Now after all of the controversive things about him I realized that jerk or no jerk he is still one of the most positive self motivated guys I know. I give him credit for going where he wants to go, Its just up to him how far hes willing to go to pride his reputation just to say I told you so. keep up the good work ben, yea you definately want to start training harder on your stance and standup(I realize your "funky" but dude u got a big button on your chin. You get that down cold you got a def chance. and hate u or love you they will watch you:)
Go easy on the man... I think he is doing fine. Just like starting a new sport, it takes time to really get the hang of it. A lot of you guys are pathetic for just rippin on Askren and what he has decided to do with mma
Ben has always been a very giving person with his time and talents. That is why his MMA decision baffles me. I know that Ali is one of his personal hero's, but I believe he is making a big mistake going this route. He could be a gold medalist and help the sport of wrestling in the USA. I see at best, him being a contender, making some good money and wasting critical years that he could be focusing on being the best in something.
7 out of 10 times Harris wins??? HAHA thats why he dominated in this one right?? He landed one punch and then got beat on the rest of the fight. Don't want to disrespect Harris b/c he had the balls to fight, but come on. If it was a close fight you could say he had a chance, but in all honesty this fight was a domination.
Askren is 5'11. If he wrestled at 163 - he has to be more than 170 in this match. More like 179 and they took truncated the 9 and added a 0. Have to believe it is because harris is about 6 inches shorter and probably giving up 15 to 20 pounds. Needs a lot of work if he wants to climb to the top in this sport.
harris may not be amazing but he isn't a no body. His record is due to taking fights he shouldn't have. He has won titles in ammys. and is 25 pounds heavier in this fight than he was at weigh ins. 7 out of 10 times Harris wins this fight. I predict ben will lose with in his next 2 fights.
As far as making it big, personality helps with that and disrespectful yness doesn't. Not many of you all know much about MMA. You might think you do but after your around it for about 15 years you will catch on.
Good Job Bader
no way baskren makes the big time. Not athletic enough. Doesn't look like a natural fighter. He can improve alot but dont think he'll ever be a world caliber fighter.
good gnp. stand up needs more work. good knees, and awesome sub at the end. don't know much about his opponent. harris's guard was open the whole time while he was getting pounded on, didn't even attempt to hold ben close. ben needs to step up his competition to get better. even if he looses a fight.
on another interview ben said he wanted 9-0 record before he steps up against a tougher opponent... that's kinda cowardly imo. i dont see how he can get good if he fights ppl off the streets. who cares if his record isn't perfect. does he expect to be a ufc champion? i don't see that happening. he'll be lucky enough to win a few fights in that organization.
Man, I am tired of people talking so much trash on Askren. It seems like Askren haters never learn after he proves them wrong. First he could never win an NCAA national title, then he has no chance of making a wrestling world team. He proved many wrong after he crushed those goals. Now he has no chance in the cage. Let me tell you something, Ben will be a force in the cage because he has told himself he will be. I do not know anyone that can accomplish as many things as Ben can. He also does this while leading an amazing life and always looks out for those who he surrounds himself with. Ben is a one of a kind guy who should never be doubted. Even though I think he likes it when people doubt him, I am tired of so many people hoping the worst for him. He has done more with his life already than most do in 80 years. THose of you that dont really know him, you have no idea how off you are about Ben. I would challenge all of you that are sitting in your underwear drinking a beer while typing trash into your keyboard to try and keep up with Ben for just one day.
Commenting on other comments. Not ready for a title shot in the UFC or for a tryout on TUF. Can't compare him to Hughes, atleast not in the stregth catagory or technique. They are two different kind of wrestlers and will be two different kind of fighters. I do agree withit being a smart way for him to climb the mma ladder. As he feels more and more comfortable he'll fight guys with better technique and just all around fighters.As long as he doesn't get y by beating guys of this caliber and just builds confidence and all around technique he could be in a position like Fitch in 3-4 years. Will he be in the top of his weight class in the next two years, I don't think so. Unless your talking about the "division" he's in now or your talking the top as in the top 50 or 70 fighters. Very possible in the next 3 to 5 years it takes time to develope all the different techniques. Oh ya who the hell compares anyone to Lesnar thats a blow to Askrens caracter. Lesner isn't anything but Danas money pig. Smart for attracting wec fans but for others in mma what the hell! Who goes 2-1 and gets a title shot. I hope Mir does make him famous with his next break!
Does this guy believe MMA Professional Fighting is going to be easier than amateur Wrestling? Especially when he gets to a boxer with a punch, that's been doing stand up since he was a kid. Pure Nonsense...
Is Askren done with wrestling? After the Olympics, he said "I just wasn't good enough. I suck." Should I take that as he thinks he isn't good enough and is done with wrestling or ...what's up with Askren?
And don't tell me mma... Everyone knows that. What's up with his wrestling career?
Ben has alot of work to do, thats for sure, but his attitude has definately translated over to mma! One of the best college wrestlers in recent history, i hope he sticks with wrestling because i dont think his wrestling style translates well to mma, plus i agree with jerseyboy that USA wrestling needs him to continue to compete and be succesful
Harris offered nothing from his back. That was the weakest pass I have seen in a fight. Askren will improve because like all great wrestlers they work their asses off to get better.
Askren is taking the right approach to have a successful MMA career. Starting in regional shows, fighting new pros like himself, and getting with a real team (ATT). He lacks natural flow on his feet considering boxing. No head movement, hands down, and no counters at all. Time will only tell.
Good fight...stand up will come with more time. Also, needs to watch his position when gnp. A decent bjj guy would of caught the knee bar (Lesnar vs. Mir) even though I will agree that it is hard to get a good sub when you are getting your face pounded in. Plus the sweep was there and I think Harris just gave up because seldom have I ever seen someone finish an arm triangle on their knees even if his hip is toward the ground. Ben will only get better though still don't know how well his type of wrestling style will transfer to the next level of mma. The power wrestlers tend to do better, if he gets better and better at bjj though his scrambling skills will make him very dangerous. Keep it up Ben!
Ben you keep dropping your hands against a real MMA fighter,your left ,and he will cave your head in. I know its just your 2nd fight but that guy was horriable and skill less.USA WRESTLING......NEEDS YOU.....GOOD LUCK
I give him credit for going in the octagon. But back to wrestling in my opinion. The guy he was fighting is garbage from what I can tell. You aint no Brock Lesnar. Stick to wrestling and win a gold medal....
Whoever lists thier mma style as "funky wrestling" is absurd, plus niether of these men look like mma fighters. Too much bodyfat they still look like wrestlers.
Ben looked ackward, slow hands/slow reaction, and overral terrible. Ben "Funky" Askren needs to immediately return to wrestling. He could make alot more $$$ winning the Olympics or a World Medal and returning to Wisconsin and going the Bormet route. If he fought a real fighter he would have been KO'ed on that 1st punch. I hope he quits MMA before he gets embarassed!
PS: If he does stick w/ MMA, how long till he fights Johnny Hendricks? That's only Askren fight I'd wanna see
Ben is not going to beat anyone good anytime soon. Look up this guy's record, and you can see he is no where near good. But this is smart for Ben, as he is still working hard on his striking and submissions. His standup still looks bad, but that is why you fight guys who arent very good.
Askren will only improve from here on. He is only fighing chumps now to get experience for later on in his career. Give Askren a year or two and he'll be on top of his weight class.
Mitch is a respectable well rounded fighter just made a mistake. If Ben fights Dominic brown which was mitch's cornerman you will probably see ben KOed
thats my homeboy Mitch smith from KC... He was a pretty decent high school wrestler... jus looked like Askren was a little too much for him.. on the flipside.. Askren is nowhere near ready for a serious fighter, his hands are suspect...
he was a freekin olympian im sorry but to waste that tallent because he lost to an olympic placer his FIRST time at the olympics is a disgrace to the sport wrestling
Ben Askren Vs Mitchell Harris
“Ok Lets ease the tension real quick! Im the guy that fought BEN and yes that fight was freakin horrible. I made too many mistakes, one after the other. But for anybody to get on here a say that I am not a real fighter. Please contact my manager at truefightfan.com and we can set something up. I have been training for over 5 yrs and have wealth of experience in the gym and the ring. Now my game plan was crap on the ground but believe my bjj skills are better then what you saw. I slipped up made mistakes and got caught. Nextly my record sucks because I fought guys most people wont. Plus I cant get better unless I challenge myslef and yes 9 out 10 times i will beat askren. And I appreciate if u keep ur comment about my family to urself. Not very nice.”
“askren is one of the most athletic wrestlers in our time! have you watched some of his scrambles in college? so all you haters can all shut up until you win 2 national titles and make it to the olympics.”
are you kiding me 2 national titles on the olympic team and 2x hodge trophy do you follow wrestling ?
http://www.taporsleep.com/content/view/71/85/
As far as making it big, personality helps with that and disrespectful yness doesn't. Not many of you all know much about MMA. You might think you do but after your around it for about 15 years you will catch on.
Good Job Bader
on another interview ben said he wanted 9-0 record before he steps up against a tougher opponent... that's kinda cowardly imo. i dont see how he can get good if he fights ppl off the streets. who cares if his record isn't perfect. does he expect to be a ufc champion? i don't see that happening. he'll be lucky enough to win a few fights in that organization.
And don't tell me mma... Everyone knows that. What's up with his wrestling career?
Askren is taking the right approach to have a successful MMA career. Starting in regional shows, fighting new pros like himself, and getting with a real team (ATT). He lacks natural flow on his feet considering boxing. No head movement, hands down, and no counters at all. Time will only tell.
PS: If he does stick w/ MMA, how long till he fights Johnny Hendricks? That's only Askren fight I'd wanna see