July 19 (Reuters) – Former UFC fighter and Olympic wrestler Ben Askren announced his retirement from competitive wrestling after losing to former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena on Saturday.
The bout, organised by Real American Freestyle, was a remarkable return for Askren, who underwent a double lung transplant after a life-threatening battle with pneumonia last year.
Askren has previously said that he spent around 40 days in a coma and lost a significant amount of weight during his recovery.
Despite lingering physical limitations, the two-time NCAA champion and 2008 Olympian returned to the mat on his 42nd birthday for what he said would be his final appearance.
He got off to a 3-0 lead with good pressure and quick defense but faded late in the contest, and Muhammad came back to secure a 6-3 victory.
“My legs gave out, they wouldn’t carry me any longer,” Askren said, after leaving his wrestling shoes on the mat to mark his retirement.
“For sure it’s my last time on the mat. I couldn’t find a better place to do this. I worked hard over the last year. It was tough.
“Every day I woke up and thanked God for the chance to do it just one more time.”
Askren retired from mixed martial arts in 2019 after a brief spell in the UFC.
(Reporting by Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
