Three Fights Ben Askren Should Take Next in 2025

Ben Askren hung up the MMA gloves in 2019 after a brief and turbulent UFC run, then stepped into a boxing ring against Jake Paul in 2021 with disastrous results. Since then, he's faced a far more serious opponent: primary sclerosing cholangitis, a liver disease that required a double lung transplant. He recently competed in what he called his final wrestling match, a testament to his competitive spirit even as his body rebuilds. But Askren has never been one to fade quietly, and his social media commentary—targeting Henry Cejudo's conditioning and Colby Covington's character—suggests he still craves the spotlight. If he's medically cleared and interested in low-risk, high-reward exhibition work, here are three fights that make sense.

1. Grappling superfight vs. Demian Maia (BJJ/submission-only rules)
This is the cleanest matchup on paper. Maia retired from MMA in 2021 with one of the sport's most decorated grappling résumés, and Askren built his Bellator and ONE Championship reigns on suffocating wrestling and ground control. A no-strikes grappling match under ADCC or Polaris rules would let both legends compete without the concussive risk that ended Askren's MMA career. The stylistic question is genuine: Can Askren's folkstyle pressure neutralize Maia's Brazilian jiu-jitsu sweeps and back-takes? It would be a chess match for grapplers, and both men have the name recognition to headline a Fite TV or FloGrappling card. Maia has stayed active in the grappling world; Askren would need to prove his conditioning holds up post-transplant, but the wrestling base is evergreen.

2. Exhibition boxing rematch vs. Jake Paul (with a real training camp)
Hear me out. The first fight was a humiliation—Askren barely trained, looked stiff, and ate a right hand inside two minutes. But it also did massive pay-per-view numbers, and Paul has since fought real boxers and turned his schtick into a legitimate promotional vehicle. If Askren took eight months to work with a boxing coach and got his cardio back to even sixty percent of pre-illness form, a rematch has a built-in revenge narrative. Paul could pitch it as "giving the wrestler a fair shot," Askren could frame it as redemption, and the combat sports media would cover every press conference. It would require medical clearance and a serious commitment to boxing fundamentals, but the payday would dwarf anything in grappling. The risk is another knockout loss, which would be brutal given Askren's health journey. Still, Paul's team has shown interest in legacy fights, and Askren has the name to move tickets.

3. Coaching-角度 reality show vs. Chael Sonnen (non-contact, all talk)
If physical competition is off the table, Askren should lean into his strengths: coaching, trash talk, and media presence. A "coach vs. coach" reality show where Askren and Sonnen each mentor a team of amateur MMA prospects—think a modern, YouTube-native version of The Ultimate Fighter—would play to both men's gift for needling opponents and building narratives. Sonnen has done commentary and promotional work for years; Askren runs a wrestling academy and has proven he can carry a podcast. The "fight" would be which coach's team wins a bracketed tournament, with plenty of room for barbs and banter along the way. Bellator or ONE could co-promote; streaming services are hungry for MMA content. It is not a fight in the traditional sense, but it keeps Askren relevant and lets him compete without medical risk. After everything his body has been through, that might be the smartest move of all.