Funky hangs up the gloves after only three UFC bouts

There may be a lot going on in the world of Missouri sports right now. Mizzou basketball beat up on Wofford to run their record to 3-1. Mizzou football is in a death spiral. We’ll have plenty on both of those throughout the week.

This morning, though, it’s fitting that we recognize the achievements of Missouri wrestling legend Ben Askren, who announced his retirement from mixed martial arts and his career in the ring overall.

The four-time All-American and one-time Olympian announced on Monday that he would be hanging up his gloves after recent news that he would need a hip replacement. Askren finishes his career at 19-2-1, with his only two losses coming in the past four months.

Cheers, Ben, and congratulations on a fantastic career. Here’s to hoping your next line of work doesn’t involve getting punched and kicked in the face.

• Askren made it clear: his hip injury is not an excuse for the two losses that ended his career.
• MMA Junkie of USA Today argued three different takes on Ben Askren’s short-lived UFC career.
• MMAFighting.com noted that they think Askren’s timing is right.
• While it’s not the ending Askren envisioned for his career, even that wouldn’t have lasted much longer than 2019.

Yesterday at Rock M

• Missouri has garnered some curiosity, but can it grab some attention?
• Missouri’s season collapse continues with — you guessed it — more penalties and missed opportunities
• Hoops Preview: Missouri can get right against an experienced, but flawed, Wofford
• GAME THREAD: Missouri looks to rebound at home against Wofford
• Strong second half launches Missouri past Wofford

More Links:

• Ben Frederickson examined where Missouri has ranked in penalty yards during each year of Barry Odom’s tenure at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
• Souichi Terada looks ahead to Tennessee while giving fans five things to watch for against the Volunteers.
• Over at PowerMizzou, Gabe wrote up his Monday morning thoughts and Sean Williams tracked high school stats, both for subscribers only.
• Despite his midseason cold streak, Albert Okwuegbunam is one of eight semifinalists for the Mackey Award.

• Finally, it’s hard to imagine most people care at this point, but:

• If you’re looking to sign up for ESPN+, Rock M Nation now has an affiliate link: click Here for ESPN+ Now! (** RockMNation has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though RockMNation may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.**)