ONE Welterweight Champion Ben Askren is one of the best wrestlers in all of MMA.
The current ONE, and former Bellator, champion is undefeated in MMA with 15 wins. Askren’s wrestling skills have played a major factor in all of his victories.
Askren recently talked to ONE Championship and gave advice to people who want to succeed in the sport of wrestling.
Askren first piece of advice is to find a good coach and team.
“It is important to be part of a good team and have a good coach because if you are a beginner, you need a lot of guidance and people around you who want to train and get better,” Askren said. “So it is very important to be part of a good team.”
Askren also says you have to be willing to work hard if you want to be successful in the sport.
“I do not care what you do, hard work is important because nothing worthwhile gets done without a lot of effort. That is a point I reinforce to my athletes all the time. It is a must,” Askren said.
“Nothing good in life, whether it is a relationship, a job, an activity, or a hobby, gets done without a great amount of effort. You have to be willing and ready to work hard. If you are not, you are not going to be good or successful at anything.”
Askren’s last piece of advice is to prepare for the ups and be prepared to power through the downs.
“I have seen many kids who quit on the downs. They have some success, and as soon as they start failing, they pack their bags and they go home. All of us are going to fail at some point, and lots of times, it is right away,” Askren said.
“A lot of times, it is just getting started. Be ready to fail, be okay with some of the early failures, and just be ready to bounce back, work hard, and keep a positive attitude.”
Askren is scheduled to defend his title on May 26 at ONE Championship: Dynasty of Heroes against undefeated prospect Agilan Thani.
