2025 U.S. World Team to recognize Ben Askren by wearing BMA on their singlets at Senior Worlds in Croatia

2008 U.S. men’s freestyle Olympian and combat sport legend Ben Askren has been staging an inspiring recovery after a near-death health challenge, which led to a double lung transplant.

The U.S. Senior World Wrestling Team, which is competing in the 2025 Senior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, September 13-21, will recognize Askren’s courageous comeback by wearing his initials BMA on their official U.S. World Team RUDIS singlets while competing in the World Championships. His full name is Benjamin Michael Askren.

“Ben Askren inspired a wrestling generation with his non-traditional wrestling style and lately with his visionary leadership as a coach and club leader.  It is an honor to recognize Ben as a USA Wrestling Family Member as he battles his recent health challenges. It is with a true wrestling spirit that we place his initials on our 2025 Senior World Team singlets to express our support and recognition of Ben as a warrior in our sport,” said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender.

“It is an honor,” said Askren. “I was blown away by the amount of people who have given me support. The wrestling community was great to me this summer. As a competitor and coach, I have always given as much as I can to wrestling. It felt good when the wrestling community gave back to me.”

The initials will be worn by U.S. team members in all three disciplines, Greco-Roman, women’s freestyle and men’s freestyle.

“Ben Askren has proven himself to be World Class in many arenas – a 2-time NCAA Champion, 2008 Olympian, accomplished MMA star, an exceptional coach and family man. To wrestle is to struggle and we view ourselves as family. As Ben recovers from his illness, he fights harder than ever before with incredible spirit. The men’s freestyle program, and all of USA Wrestling, are humbled and excited to wear his initials on our singlets to support Ben, to show respect, to honor and to bring awareness to the struggle Ben and his family are going through. Our spirit is with him, and he with us, every step of the way,” said National Freestyle Coach Bill Zadick.

“I have had the privilege of knowing Ben since he was a young high school kid in Wisconsin. I met him at the Cadet National Team Camp as he was preparing for Cadet Nationals in Fargo in the mid 1990's. I have watched him reach success at all levels. I have also watched him grow into a compelling figure for the youth of our sport in the USA. There is nothing I am prouder of than to see the way he is handling his latest health setback. He is an example to us all on how to succeed not only in the good times, but he is finding a way to prevail in the hard times.  What he is going through right now may be his biggest and toughest battle but like we have seen him so many times during his wrestling and fighting career, we are seeing him rise above and showing us brutal honesty, humility, and grace along the way. We are not shocked but proud, not only what he is doing but how he is handling the adversity he is facing,” said National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner.

“Greco-Roman Team USA is proud to honor Ben Askren by featuring his initials on our singlets. His creative wrestling style and incredible coaching have inspired many. As we head into the World Championships, we want to show our support for him during this tough time. Ben is a valued member of the USA Wrestling family and we stand with him,” said National Greco-Roman Coach Herb House.  

According to Askren, his serious health challenges began when he got a staph infection on his elbow, which later got into his bloodstream. It led to a form of pneumonia which severely damaged his lungs and Askren was in a coma for weeks. He was placed on a transplant list and, due to the selfless act of an organ donor, he was ultimately blessed to have a life-saving double-lung transplant surgery. Since coming out of the coma, Askren has been undergoing a painstaking recovery process. Askren has shared his personal recovery journey with the wrestling community and the world through social media posts.

“Luckily, I got the transplant so I would not die. I had no awareness of it. It has been more traumatic to my wife and family, who had a fear that I could die each day. I remember walking into the hospital. The next thing I remember, I woke up with a transplant,” said Askren.

Askren, 41, has been a champion wrestler going back to youth wrestling in Wisconsin, with major achievements on the college and international levels. He also had a successful competitive career in professional Mixed Martial Arts. Askren has also developed into one of most highly respected youth wrestling coaches in the United States.

Askren was a two-time Wisconsin state champion for Arrowhead High School and was a 2022 Junior Nationals champion in freestyle. He was a two-time NCAA champion, two-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner and four-time NCAA finalist competing for the University of Missouri. In 2008, Askren won the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at 74 kg in men’s freestyle to qualify for the Olympic Games in Beijing, China, where he placed sixth. He was also a 2005 Pan American champion.

Working with his brother Max, who was also an NCAA champion, Ben founded the Askren Wrestling Academy in Wisconsin, which has become one of the most successful youth wrestling clubs in the nation. The Askren Wrestling Academy has consistently developed boys and girls who have achieved success at the regional, national and international levels. A number of AWA athletes have qualified for U.S. age-group World Teams.

Askren has written a book entitled “Funky,” which tells his personal journey in wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts. He is an opinion leader in the sport of wrestling, and a regular commentator on FloWrestling and other platforms.

The Senior World Championships will be broadcast live by FloWrestling.