“Funky” Ben Askren is calling it a career following his RAF 11 wrestling match with Belal Muhammad on Saturday.
Quite frankly, it’s a miracle Askren was even able to compete.
Askren received a life-saving double-lung transplant a year ago, after contracting severe pneumonia and spending an extended period in a coma, and even longer hospitalized. During that period, he flatlined a reported four times.
The turn of events was so abrupt – an otherwise healthy athlete suddenly devastated by disease and nearly killed – that it shocked the MMA world.
The former ONE Championship and Bellator MMA welterweight champion had finished his career in the UFC just a few years prior.
A year on from that life-saving transplant, Askren was booked into the match with Muhammad, a fellow UFC welterweight and former champion who still actively competes. And while things didn’t go his way on Saturday, with Askren outworked by Muhammad (who won on points), he still came out a winner. Simply by showing up.
Askren might have lost the battle, but he’d won the war.
In a post-match interview with Chael Sonnen, Askren announced his retirement, and shed light on his mindset heading into the fight.
“I worked as hard as sh*t in the last year. It was tough. There were times I couldn’t feed myself, I couldn’t stand up, I couldn’t go to the bathroom. And every single day, I woke up and thanked God for the chance to do it just one more time,” Askren said on the mic. “I promised God I would make the most of this day. I’m going to treat people well, I’m going to work my ass off, and I’m going to try to make a difference in the world. I love you guys.”
Ben Askren just retired after his wrestling match against Belal Muhammad
“Every single day I wake up and thank God for the chance to do it one more time.” pic.twitter.com/9QBe8n6Dmt
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) July 19, 2026
