Belal Muhammad scored a comeback win over Ben Askren in a wrestling co-main event at RAF 11 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, taking a 6-3 victory on the scorecards.
Askren controlled the early action, leading 1-0 after the first period and extending that advantage to 3-0 after the second. Muhammad then surged in the final frame, outscoring Askren in the third period to flip the match and secure the 6-3 result.
In his post-match remarks, Muhammad turned the spotlight back on his former training partner. “It’s Ben’s birthday. He came back from death. This should be a standing ovation,” Muhammad said, later adding, “Every day you have a new day of sunlight, that’s a new day to live, a new day to fight.”
Askren, a two-time NCAA Division 1 national champion, two-time Dan Hodge trophy winner, former Olympian, and former world champion in ONE and Bellator, left his shoes on the mat after the bout and stated it was his last time competing. “I get tired fast these days,” Askren said. “For sure my last time on the mat. I love you guys, I really do,” adding, “I worked hard as shit in the last year.”
Askren had been hospitalized with severe pneumonia last year and required a lung transplant before returning for this one-off wrestling match. Muhammad, described as a former UFC welterweight champion whose MMA career was defined by his wrestling, previously trained with Askren.
