Former UFC welterweight Ben Askren has previously opened up about one major regret from his illustrious combat sports career revealing he wishes he had dedicated more time to developing his Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills earlier in his journey.
The retired MMA star, who built his reputation as one of the most dominant wrestlers in MMA history, believes his grappling potential was never fully realized due to coaching inconsistencies and his focus on other aspects of his game.
“The one thing I think I would have changed if I could go back I didn’t ever think I was going to compete until 2019,” Askren explained during an interview. “I never thought that would be the case. I thought I’d be retired way before. I never really had a great jiu-jitsu coach until really the end of my career when I found Marc Laimon. I really enjoyed him.”
The two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion pointed to the lack of consistent jiu-jitsu instruction at his longtime training home of Roufusport as a missed opportunity.
“But before that there was really a mix of different jiu-jitsu coaches at [Roufusport] and I think that my potential to choke people out was untapped,” he admitted.
Askren’s wrestling credentials were undeniable throughout his career. His unique “funky” style and superior positional control made him a nightmare matchup for opponents across multiple promotions. However he now believes that foundation could have translated into even more devastating submission skills with proper guidance.
“I was the best pinner in the modern era of college wrestling,” Askren stated confidently. “And I think if I would have went to work with say the Danaher Death Squad or Marcelo Garcia I could have really tapped into that at a much higher level.”
Instead of pursuing elite-level jiu-jitsu instruction Askren made a strategic decision to focus on his striking game believing his ground skills were already sufficient. At the time this approach seemed logical given his wrestling dominance and the assumption that his career would end much sooner than it actually did.
“But at the same time I really liked being coached by Duke Roufus that was going well and I always thought hey I’m good enough on the ground I need to work on the striking end of the takedowns,” he explained. “I always thought hey I’m going to be done in a couple of years and then it just ended up so happening that I competed until effing 2019.”
The retrospective analysis has left Askren wondering what might have been possible with different priorities.
“If I would have put some more time into jiu-jitsu I think I could have gotten better choking people,” he reflected. “Hey that’s how it goes sometimes. That’s what I would have done a little bit differently had I been able to go back and do it again.”
This revelation is particularly poignant considering how Askren’s UFC career concluded. After signing with the promotion in late 2018 following successful championship runs in ONE Championship and Bellator, he compiled a 1-2 record across three appearances. His final bout came against Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Demian Maia in October 2019 where he lost via third-round submission which prompted his retirement announcement less than a month later.
The irony of losing via submission to end his career was not lost on Askren especially given his belief that enhanced jiu-jitsu training could have changed the outcome.
In late May 2025 Ben Askren faced a life-threatening health crisis after a severe staph infection progressed into pneumonia. He was hospitalized placed on life support and entered a medically induced coma losing all memory of over a month. His heart stopped four times before he underwent a double lung transplant in late June. During the ordeal he lost nearly 50 pounds and was pushed to the brink.
In recovery Askren has spoken candidly about the surreal experience reflecting on the emotional impact of hearing how much he meant to people while unconscious—likening it to witnessing his own funeral. The experience has left him physically weakened but mentally resolved forever changed by the trauma and now focused on rebuilding his life with a renewed sense of purpose.
Askren’s coaching career in wrestling is likely over but his will and his journey are there to inspire many.
