Ben Askren is set to make the walk in a combat sports environment.
Askren faces former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad in the co-main event of RAF 11 this Saturday in Milwaukee. The return to action comes over a year after a severe bout with pneumonia that led to a double lung transplant, and nearly took his life. After nearly two months in the hospital, Askren was able to go home, where he’s continued to improve his health. “Funky” has served as one of the RAF matchmakers since it’s inception
less than a year ago.
RAF color commentator Chael Sonnen will be calling the action during Saturday’s event, which streams on FOX Nation, but there’s a part of him — like a lot of others — that’s a bit nervous heading in.
“It makes me uncomfortable,” Sonnen told MMA Fighting at the Fighters’ Only MMA Awards red carpet. “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.”
Somewhat lost in the Askren story is Muhammad taking the matchup with Askren. The former UFC titleholder makes his second RAF appearance and looks to improve upon his tech fall loss to David Carr at RAF 4 this past December.
Sonnen believes “Remember the Name” deserves more credit than he’s getting for taking the matchup.
“I thought, what a stud Belal Muhammad is for taking this,” Sonnen said. “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, and that part of the story is not being told, and it deserves to be told.
“I think that Belall Muhammad has always gotten a bad shake in the media. I don’t think the media has ever been fair to him, and I think that he is every bit the star of this contest that Ben Askren is.”
