Ben Askren vs Belal Muhammad - No Easy Return

After undergoing life-saving double lung transplant surgery and flatlining four times, Ben Askren was down 50 pounds and staring at a tall, steep mountain to recovery. Just over a year later, he takes the mat against former UFC champion Belal Muhammad at RAF11.

At 41 years old Ben Askren has already taken back more than what many would have expected following double-lung transplant surgery. Not only has he returned to his fighting weight, returned to the gym and returned to a normal life but he’s returning to one of the most cardio-dependent sports to take on a grappling-heavy former UFC champion under the brightest lights in freestyle wrestling.

One of the most dominant college wrestlers of his era, Askren was not only one of the hardest men on earth to take down but also possessed an offensive expertise so innovative and confusing it earned him the nickname “Funky.”

He was the second-ever multiple-time Hodge Trophy winner, two-time NCAA Champion and two-time runner up before switching his focus to MMA where a fight style almost exclusively centered around wrestling would make him one of the most dominant Bellator and ONE FC champions in the history of both promotions.

Askren not only dominated his era but would usher in and sculpt the future of the sport when he opened Askren Wrestling Academy in 2011. Keegan O’Toole, Aeoden Sinclair, Mitchell Messenbrink and more cut their teeth under the AWA banner and all dedicate much of their success to “Funky.”

He never relied solely on athleticism but instead, elite conditioning, unorthodox attacks, mat IQ and top-notch scrambling abilities. He made a career out of being elite in the most difficult areas to perfect.

He’ll need everything in his toolbag and more if he wants to complete a Cinderella-story at RAF11 against Belal Muhammad.

While being one of the most likable athletes in combat sports, Muhammad is known for putting his head down under the radar, going to work and playing spoiler to some of the biggest names. His wrestling skillset has led him to defeating some of MMA’s most recognizable welterweights. Demian Maia, “Wonderboy” Thompson, Leon Edwards and more have been on the wrong side of his championship ground attack.

Muhammad sneakily has some of the best chain-wrestling in MMA and has never needed a cage to push opponents against to impose positioning. He rarely relies on one single takedown and has stifled gameplans in the highest levels of combat sports for just under a decade and a half.

He may have chose the MMA gym over the wrestling room in college but with what he’s spent a career doing to top-tier ground technicians in the cage, you can only imagine what he would’ve done on the mat, had he sought out a D1 career.

Now at 38 years old, Muhammad still hasn’t appeared to have lost a step and is still a giant threat to anybody lacing up the gloves or wrestling shoes, even Ben Askren.

Askren’s path to victory is to turn every engagement into a scramble. Getting “Funky” has always been Askren’s greatest strength and while Muhammad is very technically sound, thriving where every other wrestler avoids at all costs has made Askren a very successful wrestler.

He’ll also need to control the pace instead of wrestling at full-throttle. Few people work harder than Askren, few people are more dedicated to the sport of wrestling than Askren but given his layoff and recovery, it’s hard not to put a question mark next to one of his strongest weapons. If he can keep it his pace, he has much greater odds of securing the win.

For Muhammad it’ll take a little more. The obvious key to victory is to push the pace as much as he can. Find a way on top and make the match ugly before unloading the arsenal. If Muhammad can make Askren carry his weight early and often he can turn defense into offense.

Muhammad also needs to plan for decisive finishes as opposed to getting to a leg and “figuring it out” from there. Askren can turn almost any position into points, so taking away the options from the second Muhammad shoots is crucial.

Will Belal Muhammad play the ultimate heel role or will Ben Askren complete the storybook ending? The answer is right around the corner!

Catch Belal Muhammad vs Ben Askren LIVE from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Saturday, July 18 ONLY on FOX Nation!