Ben Askren has elected to retire from the mixed martial arts.
The 35-year old, who has suffered consecutive brutal defeats in the UFC at the hands of Jorge Masvidal and Demian Maia, revealed the news on Ariel Helwani's MMA show this evening - citing his need for a hip replacement as a key reason in his decision.
After an accomplished amateur wrestling career, Askren went on to become Bellator Welterweight Champion and successfully defended his time four times in a row.
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Having made some serious waves, Askren was then involved in the first ever MMA trade deal between One Championship and UFC - with Demetrious Johnson heading in the opposite direction.
He made a winning debut for Dana White's promotion when he beat former UFC welterweight champ Robbie Lawler at UFC 235 but was halted in his tracks in his next bout when Masvidal produced a stunning flying knee just five seconds into their UFC 239 clash.
Askren was on the receiving end of the quickest knockout in UFC history, which in turn launched Masvidal into a new stratosphere and see him subsequently become the 'BMF' of the fight game after he beat Nate Diaz at UFC 244.
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The Funky one was in contention for a title shot prior to the Masvidal defeat and hoped to rebound with victory against Maia in October.
However, he tapped out to a rear-naked choke in the third round and less than a month on, has come to the decision that he will no longer continue.
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