An emotional Ben Askren ended his competitive career with a points loss in a wrestling match with another former UFC fighter Belal Muhammad.
Askren came out of retirement for one last bout on Saturday, a year after he almost died from pneumonia.
The fight was organised by Real American Freestyle (RAF) and took place on Askren’s 42nd birthday in his home town of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
He needed a double lung transplant after falling ill last year, when Askren said he “died four times” and was in a coma for 37 days.
He lost nearly a third of his bodyweight and weighed 63kg.
His recovery was such that he felt able to commit to one last fight, although he said it would be a one-off.
And Askren, who had three UFC fights in 2019, stayed true to his word after losing 6-3 to Muhammad.
Askren produced a mainly defensive performance and clearly faded during the third and final period.
“My legs gave out, they wouldn’t carry me any longer,” he said. “For sure it’s my last time on the mat. I couldn’t find a better place to do this.
“I worked hard over the last year. It was tough. There were times I couldn’t feed myself, I couldn’t stand up or go to the bathroom.
“Every day I woke up and thanked God for the chance to do it just one more time. I promised I’m going to make the most of this day. I’m going to treat people well, work my ass off and try to make a difference in the world.”
Muhammad beat British fighter Leon Edwards to win the UFC welterweight title in 2024 and had the last of his 22 UFC fights in June.
The 38-year-old added: “He [Askren] came back from death, this guy’s a legend.
“He’s changing lives. I know, he changed my life. I’m at home ready to quit. I’m tired, I’m sore, all my losses, but I look at Ben still fighting every single day.
“It shows you man, life is precious. Go after it bro.”
Duncan stretches UFC win streak
Elsewhere on Saturday, British fighter Christian Leroy Duncan claimed his fifth UFC win in a row.
The 30-year-old earned a unanimous decision against Jared Cannonier in Oklahoma City to improve his overall MMA record to 15-2.
“To beat a former title challenger and he’s been a contender for a long time, I think that now solidifies my place in the middleweight division,” Duncan said.
“Big fights ahead, big names. We’ve got DPP (Dricus Du Plessis) and (Kamaru) Usman [fighting] right now, I am sure one of these will be in my future.”
In the main event, Kamaru Usman suffered his fourth defeat in five UFC fights as his fellow former world champion Dricus Du Plessis dominated their five-round middleweight contest.
While in the PFL, rising British star Lewis McGrillen’s four-fight win streak ended as he was beaten on his debut in the USA.
The 25-year-old was beaten by Rafael do Nascimento in Austin via a rear naked choke to slip to 12-2 overall.
Fighting on the same card, Ireland’s Caolan Loughran played his part in a hard-fought contest before Julio Arce earned the decision.
Loughran, 30, now has an 11-4 record and has lost two of his three fights since leaving the UFC last year.
