Ben Askren returned to the mat for one final wrestling match on Saturday, dropping a 6-3 decision to Belal Muhammad at RAF 11 in Milwaukee.
The bout took place at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, where Askren faced his former teammate and ex-UFC welterweight champion in a high-level wrestling contest before officially saying goodbye to competition.
After the match, Askren addressed the crowd, saying, "My lungs hurt but the things that failed me were my legs," and later added, "They give out. In the third period, my legs ... wouldn't carry me any longer. ... It's for sure my last time on the mat. ... I love you guys. I really do. ... I couldn't find a better place to do this. I worked as hard as sh*t in the last year. It was tough. There was tough where I couldn't feed myself. I couldn't stand up. I couldn't go to the bathroom. Every single day I woke up and thanked God for the chance to do it one more time. I promised God, 'I'm going to make the most of this day.' I'm going to treat people well. I'm going to work my ass off and I'm going to try to make a difference in the world. I love you guys."
Askren, who had previously retired from mixed martial arts, stated this was his last time competing on the wrestling mat and marked the moment by laying his wrestling shoes in the center of the mat as a farewell gesture.
His return came after a harrowing health battle in June 2025, when he was on his deathbed following a staph infection that developed into serious pneumonia, leading to an induced coma and a double lung transplant.
