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RAF 11 live blog: Ben Askren vs. Belal Muhammad

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RAF 11 live blog: Ben Askren vs. Belal Muhammad

This is the live blog for Ben Askren vs. Belal Muhammad, the co-main event wrestling match at Saturday's RAF 11 card in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

A two-time NCAA Div. 1 national champion and two-time Dan Hodge trophy winner, Askren is one of the most accomplished wrestlers to ever fight in MMA, also competing in the 2008 Olympics. Askren parlayed that wrestling ability into world championships for ONE and Bellator, before finally moving to the UFC for a short run before retiring. Unfortunately, tragedy struck Askren last year when he was hospitalized with severe pneumonia, ultimately requiring a lung transplant. Now back to health, Askren is taking this match as a one-off, a bout that seems more about its message than the result of the match.

A former UFC welterweight champion, Muhammad wrestled in high school but not past that, though his MMA career was defined by his wrestling chops. Muhammad also has history with Askren, training with him during their MMA careers, making this bout perhaps less of a heated engagement than a fun farewell match for Askren.

Check out the live blog for Tsarukyan vs. Covington below.

Here comes Belal first. Fireworks and Muhammad is hyped up for this match. But Ben Askren is next as the crowd goes nuts. The comeback story is real here and the crowd is eating it up. Belal Muhammad won't have many friends in the crowd tonight. Ben Askren soaking it in before he walks to the mat for what is perhaps the final time. The fact that Askren is here is insane in its own way.

The announcer is giving the crowd the introductions and here we go!

Askren is commanding the center early and forcing Belal to shoot first. Funk soon? Askren is tying up against Belal and actually looks strong. Muhammad gets put on the shot clock early. Belal shoots from too far out and fails. Askren gets on the board early with Belal Muhammad failing to score on the clock. Askren shucks Muhammad by.

End of the round, Ben Askren is up 1-0.

Second period begins and Belal comes out more active. Muhammad shoots and fails to get though to the legs of Askren. Ben Askren shoots on the hips and scores on Muhammad with a push out! This is crazy that it's not over! Another point for Askren as he throws Muhammad out at the edge with the whizzer. Muhammad jumps in on a front head lock and Askren does a good job of reastling up and stays square. Askren is looking fantastic!

We are two periods through and Belal Muhammad has not scored yet! Askren up 3-0!

THIRD PERIOD! LET'S GO! Askren shoots and Muhammad stuffs. Muhammad shoots and gets the double leg to score two. One point spread!. Askren shoots again to another Belal sprawl. Askren looking for some funk but the referee calls it a stale mate. Askren scores again and Belal sprawls again. Belal Muhammad gets the go-behind. He's now up 4-3. Down to 30! ANY MAGIC? Askren shoots on the single and gets sprawled on again. Muhammad looking for the go behind again. Looks like Muhammad scores two but Askren's coach throws the brick. Doesn't matter, Muhammad wins!

Insane wrestling from both sides to see what Askren comes from. He looks anguished on the side but Ben Askren put on a fantastic performance.

Belal Muhammad defeats Ben Askren, 6-3.

“It's Ben's birthday. He came back from death. This should be a standing ovation,†Muhammad says in his post fight interview with Chael Sonnen. “Every day you have a new day of sunlight, that's a new day to live, a new day to fight.â€

Belal Muhammad continues, “We got a bitch going into the main event, his name is Colby Covington. I will find him and I will stomp on his neck until he stops breathing.â€

Now the arena is singing Happy Birthday to Askren. Chael got some pipes.

We've moved to Askren's interview. “I get tired fast these days,†says Askren who just went three rounds with a former UFC welterweight champion.

“For sure my last time on the mat. I love you guys, I really do,†Askren says as he takes his shoes off to leave on the mat a final time. Ben Askren's “I worked hard as shit in the last year,†Askren said. His comeback was incredible and as he leaves his shoes in the middle of the mat, the crowd goes crazy.

Ben Askren's career is a peculiar one. Not the most athletic, he became an American legend with his mind. His patented funk wrestling changed the mind of the “experts†who thought they knew how to wrestle. A World Champion and an Olympian, Askren's impact will never be forgotten.

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MMA

Colby Covington drags Daniel Cormier into ugly Jon Jones feud

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Colby Covington drags Daniel Cormier into ugly Jon Jones feud
Colby
Covington has brought Daniel
Cormier into his latest feud with Jon Jones.

Jones' protégé, Gable
Steveson, was knocked out by Sean Sharaf
in a major upset at UFC
331 in September in Los Angeles. Covington subsequently blamed
Jones' “bad energy†for Steveson's loss. Jones responded by saying
that Covington, his former college roommate, hasn't achieved even a
fraction of what he has in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Colby Covington tells Gable Steveson to leave Jon Jones for
Daniel Cormier

Covington responded by citing domestic abuse allegations against
Jones. “Chaos†said Jones' professional achievements don't excuse
his alleged conduct outside the cage. The former interim
welterweight champion then suggested that Steveson train with
Daniel
Cormier, Jones' longtime rival.

“The things I say only bother you because they're true,†Covington
wrote on X. “You're a narcissistic abusive sociopath. Your
achievements inside the Octagon don't make you a better person
outside of it. Those same achievements definitely don’t give you
the right to abuse women either, Jon. At the end of the day, I feel
for Gable being in this situation… It's too bad he can't take
punches from heavyweights as well as your wife does. If Gable
really cares about advancing in his career, he should leave you and
go train with a real man like Daniel Cormier.â€

Jones and Cormier's heated rivalry has continued since their
fighting careers ended. Jones defeated Cormier in their first UFC
bout, but his knockout victory in their rematch was overturned to a
no contest after “Bones†failed a drug test. Years after retiring,
“DC†has said he has no interest in reconciling with Jones.

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MMA

Brendan Allen accuses Dricus du Plessis of taking ‘easier’ Kamaru Usman fight

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Brendan Allen accuses Dricus du Plessis of taking ‘easier’ Kamaru Usman fight
Brendan
Allen has criticized Dricus Du
Plessis for allegedly avoiding a fight with him.

A matchup between Allen and du Plessis was reportedly in the works
in January. According to Allen, the bout fell through after he was
told du Plessis was injured. Du Plessis went on to face former

Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder Kamaru
Usman in July, winning by unanimous decision.

Brendan Allen explains why he believes he was a tougher
opponent than Kamaru Usman

Allen has accused du Plessis of avoiding him in favor of an easier
fight against Usman. “All In†acknowledges that the 39-year-old
former welterweight champion remains a bigger draw. However, Allen
believes he presents a tougher matchup, prompting du Plessis to
take the “easier fight.â€

“I know he's had the opportunity to fight me and he took the easier
route,†Allen told UFC on Paramount+. “He can say whatever he
wants; it's a fact. We were supposed to fight. And somehow it got
worked that Kamaru's name got thrown in there. And obviously Kamaru
is a bigger draw even though he's older, up a weight class. He took
the easier fight, plain and simple. Everyone knows it was the
easier fight. I'm bigger, I'm stronger, I'm faster. I think I'm
more talented, but people are gonna play off of Kamaru's resume.
OK, play off his resume, but I don't think that Kamaru can make it
five rounds with me.â€

Allen (27-7) enters his
UFC Vegas 122 main event against Christian
Leroy Duncan (15-2) on Saturday in Las Vegas with three
consecutive victories. Duncan has won five straight fights.

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MMA

Morning Report | Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov have heated run-in at the UFC P.I.

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Morning Report | Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov have heated run-in at the UFC P.I.

Let me start with what this isn't:

What is your pick for the highest level fight we have ever seen inside the cage?

This can be:

  • A fight with to guys at the absolute peak of their powers (Cejudo vs MM, Dillashaw vs Cruz, Jones vs Cormier)

  • A fight that had an insane technical level between both guys that blew your mind (Evloev vs Sterling comes to mind)

Have a little fun with it and as always disagree vehemently but respectfully! 🫡

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