Big Ben Askren: Caged beast to gentle giant

Joy Chakravarty 08:06 21/08/2014
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Firm favourite: Ben Askren is undefeated as an MMA fighter.

    As long as he is not pushed into the cage, Ben Askren comes across as a perfect gentleman. The cauliflower ears are a dead giveaway of his profes­sion, but his broad smile, easy de­meanour and his friendly nature might force you to think otherwise.

    But start talking fighting to the 30-year-old Milwaukee native, and you can see the transformation. Put him in­side the cage, and he turns into a beast.

    Undefeated in 13 fights in his MMA career, Askren is ONE Fighting Cham­pionship’s most prized possession, and he will be seen in action as one of the headline acts in ‘Reign of Champi­ons’ – a nine-bout card that takes place on August 29 at Dubai World Trade Centre. Askren spoke exclusively to Sport360° ahead of the fight.

    Your world championship bout against Nobutatsu Suzuki is one of the most antici­pated fights in the history of ONE Fighting Championship. Why don’t we begin with your thoughts on the fight itself? Why should people in UAE come and watch it?
    Well, I am only one part of the biggest card ever in ONE FC history. With nine fights that night, obviously, there are nine very good reasons why people should come out and watch us.

    As for me, they are going to get a chance to see high-level wrestling. They are going to see one of the best welterweights in the world.

    Is there a gameplan that you have for Su­zuki, or is it something you are going to keep a secret?
    There really is no secret. It has been the same every fight – I am a dominant wrestler and no one has been able to stand my wrestling. In fact, I even tell my opponents what my game­plan is. I tell them I am going to come across the cage, I am going to grab you and throw on the ground, punch you in the face and I am going to beat you up. It’s that simple and that’s what I have done every single fight.

    You are undefeated in 13 bouts in the ONE FC now. What would this title mean if you do beat Suzuki?
    It would really be awesome. I was the cham­pion in my last organisation (Bella­tor), and to be the champion in a new major organisation would mean a lot to me.

    This fight is going to prove once again that I’m the best welterweight on the planet. And I want to hold on to the belt for a long time.

    What’s your style of fighting? And what’s your favourite move inside the cage?
    My favourite is the Double Leg Takedown, where you pick ‘em up by grabbing their legs by both hands and slam them. But since I am undefeated, I think I have a unique style that no one has been able to figure out yet.

    What’s your normal day like?
    Mostly, I have two practice sessions. I wake up in the morning and do some strength con­ditioning and I work with my coaches. In the evenings, it is hard professional practice. And on the days of fight, it is all about staying loose and staying relaxed. I don’t do any specific mental exercises, but fighting is something that think about whole day. I guess that takes care of the mental part.

    How do you keep yourself abreast with what’s happening in MMA? Do you watch a lot of fights to get some new ideas? Do you like to go and watch some traditional fight­ing styles in off-beat places?
    To be honest, I have some of the best coaches on the planet, and I trust them fully. Especial­ly between Rufus Sport, where I coach with Duke Rufus, and Evolve in Singapore, we are at the cutting edge. We really are making the future happen right in front of us. They have some of the best fighters and coaches in the business between them.

    What was the inspiration behind taking up wrestling as your sport?
    Growing up as a kid, I played every sport – baseball, football… everything really. But wrestling was something that I liked better than all other sports, so I stuck with it. And as I got older, I got better at it.

    As for any idol that I looked up to when I was growing up, not really. I just liked wres­tling and the fact that I could throw someone down and overpower him. Wrestling takes lots of determination, dedication and hard work to succeed and I liked that part of it.

    And how did the switch to MMA happen?
    I made the US Olympic team in 2008 and I obviously came short of getting a medal. Af­ter that, I made a decision to switch to MMA because that was something I really wanted to do.

    If you look at some of the top MMA fighters, they have wrestling backgrounds. Since then, it has been great. I have been undefeated. I have one world title, and hopefully I will be adding another later this month.

    Tell us about your move from America to the other part of the world – to ONE FC?
    ONE FC are doing some great things, so it wasn’t really that hard a decision. I love to travel and see different parts of the world. I have been very impressed with what they have done to this point and I think they are ready to explode to a different level. And I want to do my best and help them build a brand.

    Recommended