Ben “Funky” Askren

Status: Former ONE athlete

ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren is one of the best grapplers in history. Nicknamed “Funky” due to his unorthodox style of grappling, he became a modern-day legend in America’s wrestling scene. He was a two-time Wisconsin State Wrestling Champion, a two-time NCAA Division I Wrestling Champion, and compiled a stellar 153-7 record in collegiate wrestling. After representing the United States in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, Askren decided to turn his attention to the cage upon returning to the US.

He unsurprisingly adopted wrestling as his primary base and made his professional debut in February 2009. He went on to dominate the North American scene, capturing the Bellator Welterweight Championship and defending it repeatedly before signing with ONE Championship in late 2013. The unbeaten Askren then defeated Nobutatsu Suzuki for the ONE Welterweight World Championship in April 2015, and has reigned supreme ever since.