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Former UFC welterweight Ben Askren lost what he confirmed will be his final wrestling match, falling 6-3 to ex-UFC champion Belal Muhammad at RAF 11 in Milwaukee just over a year after receiving a double lung transplant.
Askren held the advantage through two periods before his body broke down in the third, according to FloWrestling. Muhammad rallied with a takedown and reversal to pull away late.
Askren's body quit in the final period
Askren told FloWrestling his legs had nothing left by the end of the second period. "I'm gonna have a hard time being in my stance. I'm gonna have a hard time not getting pushed around," he said. When Muhammad raised the pace in the third, Askren knew he was finished. "My body doesn't have it left in me. I did the best I could," he added.
The loss marked the end of Askren's competitive wrestling career. He told Chael Sonnen in a post-match interview that it was definitely his last time on the mat, noting there were stretches during his recovery when he could not feed himself, stand up, or walk to the bathroom.
Askren survived a life-threatening pneumonia case that required the double lung transplant roughly a year before the Milwaukee match. He confirmed his retirement from wrestling immediately after the bout.
Original reporting:
