He may have the looks and laid-back attitude of a sun-kissed California surfer, but at heart, Ben Askren is a good old Midwestern fighter.
The welterweight from Missouri is set to make his Dubai mixed-martial arts (MMA) debut at Friday night’s Reign of Champions, a One Fighting Championship (FC) event taking place at the World Trade Centre.
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“Everything’s been going really well,” said Askren, 30. “I’ve had a really good training camp so far. I’m ready to rumble.”
His opponent, champion Nobutatsu Suzuki of Japan, can consider himself warned.
These days, Askren represents the Evolve Fight Team out of Singapore. And it is even further East that his drift toward mixed martial arts began.
In 2008, Askren seemed to have hit the big time when he qualified for the Olympic Games in Beijing in the men’s 74-kilogram wrestling class, after defeating national runner-up Tyrone Lewis twice at the US trials.
A bright future looked assured. In China however, he was quickly brought back down to earth after he lost in the quarter-finals to Cuban Ivan Fundora.
“Obviously, making the Olympic team was great, but I didn’t [win a] medal,” he said. “That was really disappointing. I was able to and ready to win, but I just didn’t get the job done.”
It was a tough experience for the American to come to terms with, and he concedes it affected his enjoyment of the whole competition.
“It’s hard to say what I felt about the Olympic experience,” he said. “The opening ceremony was great, but I was really focused on the competition and focused on doing well. When I didn’t, it kind of put a bitter taste in my mouth.”
The experience led to a period of introspection that would set him on the road to success.
“After the Olympics, I took a few months off for a much-needed holiday,” he said. “And I started thinking, what’s next?”
The world of MMA called, and Askren responded.
Only months after his Olympic disappointment, Askren was in an MMA cage for his professional debut. This time, there was no letdown after he beat Josh Flowers in a first-round technical knockout. He has not looked back since.
A gold medal at the 2009 World Grappling Championship followed, as did several wins at the Bellator Fighting Championships, an MMA competition based in the United States.
The series of successes culminated in Askren signing with One FC last December. He spent much of the following year in Singapore.
He has not noticed a marked difference between fighting in the US and in Asia. “Honestly, the fighting is the same everywhere – you’re inside the cage, and you’re beating each other up,” Askren said.
“Culturally as well, I didn’t find much difference. I was told the crowds might be a little quiet, but they were loud, too.”
Askren has taken the change of environment in stride. In May, he defeated Bakhtiyar Abbasov, who was riding a nine-fight winning streak, in the main event of One FC: Honor and Glory.
Immediately, he set his sights even higher, namely on champion Nobutatsu Suzuki’s welterweight belt.
“Suzuki is going to bring me my belt,” he said at the time.
“He can put it in the middle of the cage and give it to me, or I can take it the hard way.”
Such self-belief is apparent in the way Askren carries himself. Sitting in the lobby of his hotel only hours after landing in Dubai, he is a picture of serenity.
It may have been only three days before the big fight, but he was confident that he is on course for success tomorrow night.
“I’m ready, on Thursday we do the weigh-in and then it’s time to eat well, relax and get some sleep,” he said.
Askren laughs when it is suggested that he has kept his preparations under wraps.
“I tell people my strategy all the time,” he said with a smile. “I’m going to walk across the ring, pick you up and beat you.”
He is clearly not short on confidence. So what does the immediate future carry for him once his business in Dubai is completed?
“I’m happy to fight wherever it takes me,” he said. “I’m told that the One FC have plans to come back to Dubai, and if I’m picked, I’ll be back here [next year].”
Main event – Lightweight World Championship Kamal Shaorus (Iran) v Shinya Aoki (Japan)
Co-Main event – Welterweight World Championship Ben Askren (USA) v Nobutatsu Suzuki (Japan)
Co-Main event – Featherweight World Championship Narantungalag Jadambaa (Mongolia) v Koji Oishi (Japan)
Lightweight Christian Holley (UK) v Roger Huerta (USA)
Light heavyweight Christiano Kaminshi (Brazil) v James McSweeney (UK)
Featherweight Hiroshige Tanaka (Japan) v Herbert Burns (Brazil)
Catchweight Vaughn Donayre (Philippines) v Mohamad Walid (Syria)
Flyweight Ali Yaakub (Malaysia) v Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke (Thailand)
Flyweight Ann Osman (Malaysia) v Ana Julaton (Philippines)
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