Chael Sonnen uncomfortable with Ben Askren wrestling return at RAF 11

Chael Sonnen has mixed feelings about Ben Askren's return to competition this Saturday at RAF 11 in Milwaukee.

Askren faces former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad in the co-main event, his first time competing since a life-threatening bout with pneumonia that required a double lung transplant. The 40-year-old spent nearly two months hospitalized before recovering enough to resume his role as an RAF matchmaker.

Sonnen's Initial Reaction to Askren's Comeback

Speaking to MMA Fighting at the Fighters Only MMA Awards red carpet, Sonnen admitted the news of Askren's comeback left him uneasy at first. "It makes me uncomfortable," he said. "When I read about it, the response was supposed to be excitement. It was supposed to be inspirational, and I am getting there, by the way. It is exciting, it is inspirational, but I was uncomfortable at first."

Sonnen will call the action for Saturday's event, which streams on FOX Nation. He also credited Muhammad for accepting the matchup, noting that few would have taken the risk. "I thought, what a stud Belal Muhammad is for taking this," Sonnen told the outlet. "I don't think very many people would have taken this risk, and Belal realized one thing, which is, if I don't do this, Ben doesn't get the opportunity."

Muhammad makes his second RAF appearance after losing by tech fall to David Carr at RAF 4 in December. Sonnen believes the former UFC titleholder deserves more recognition for stepping up. "That part of the story is not being told, and it deserves to be told," he said.

RAF 11 takes place Saturday in Milwaukee.

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• MMA Fighting — Chael Sonnen admits Ben Askren’s wrestling return at RAF 11 ‘makes me uncomfortable’