The Best Wrestler in MMA?
By now you have all probably heard the exciting news. Bellator Welterweight World Champion,
Ben Askren, has officially joined the Evolve Fight Team. Ben comes to Evolve as one of the top
welterweights in the entire world.
His record stands at a perfect 12-0. Known primarily for his dominant wrestling style, Ben will
bring a very unique skill set to Evolve MMA. He will also benefit greatly from Evolve MMA’s world class
Muay Thai and Boxing programs. We
couldn’t be more excited to have Ben on board, and we look forward to seeing
him in Singapore soon.
Although many of you are probably aware that Ben Askren is a
world class wrestler, let’s take a quick moment to review some of Ben’s impressive
wrestling credentials. While competing
for the University of Missouri’s NCAA Division 1 wrestling program, Ben put
together one of the most storied careers in the program’s history. He was a 4 time All-American and earned
National Championship titles in 2006 and 2007. In both 2006 and 2007 he was awarded the prestigious
Dan Hodge Trophy, awarded to the most outstanding collegiate wrestler of the
year. He is one of only 2 people
to have ever been awarded the trophy twice, the other being the legendary Cael
Sanderson. He is also one of the
greatest finishers in the history of NCAA Division 1 Wrestling, standing third
on the all time list with 91 pins.
After graduating from University in 2007, Ben moved on to
the US Senior Freestyle circuit.
He won a US National Freestyle Wrestling Championship and a place on the
US Olympic Wrestling team. He
competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
In 2009, he made the decision to retire from wrestling and focus on MMA.
In November, Ben came out of retirement from wrestling to
take on active wrestler Quentin Wright.
Wright was a 4 time All American, and he recently won his second NCAA
Division 1 National title at the 2013 championships. Although competing nearly 20 pounds above his collegiate
weight, Ben smashed his opponent by a score of 22-8.
In viewing his past credentials and recent dominance, there
is a very strong case to be made that Ben Askren is in fact the best wrestler
in MMA.
Check out Ben’s 2006 National Championship bout below. His opponent is Jake Herbert, a two
time National Champion and US Olympian in his own right.
Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® is Asia's premier championship brand for martial arts. With World Champions in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Mixed Martial Arts, Boxing, Wrestling, and No Gi Grappling, Evolve MMA is the top martial arts training organization in Asia. It ranks among the best martial arts academies in the world.
