Ben Askren loses 11-0 to Jordan Burroughs as UFC star is humbled on wrestling return
- Olympic gold medallist dominates MMA fighter with shut-out in New York exhibition match
- Askren jokes with Burroughs ‘my plan was to choke you out’
Ben Askren has talked a big game for years when it comes to embarrassing the heavy hitters of mixed martial arts. But he had to eat humble pie on Monday night after an emphatic defeat by Jordan Burroughs in their wrestling exhibition contest.
Reigning Olympic champion Burroughs crushed Askren 11-0 at the “Beat the Streets” event at the Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York, which was streamed live on FloWrestling.
It was all over in the second period with Burroughs winning by technical fall after shutting out his fellow American.
The match was highly anticipated, after plenty of lighthearted back and forth between the two on social media in the build-up. Former Olympian Askren – a two-time national wrestling champion and one-time world champion – was also stepping back onto the mats for the first time in more than a decade, despite having an upcoming MMA bout against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 239 on July 7.
“Today the MMA world and the wrestling world butted heads and everybody loved it,” Burroughs said alongside Askren as the two men spoke to the media after the bout.