Ben Askren reveals who he believes is the GOAT in wrestling post-2000
Ben Askren was recently seen on Lex Fridman's podcast, where he revealed who he believes to be the GOAT in wrestling post-2000. Askren named Russian freestyle wrestler Abdulrashid Sadulaev as the GOAT, according to him, in wrestling post-2000.
Ben Askren, when asked about who he would choose between Kyle Snyder and Abdulrashid Sadulaev, said:
"Post-2000, I think and obviously just freestyle, so...I think Sadulaev... Sadulaev won the Olympics... So well Kyle won the first one in 17. Sadulaev had pinned him in the following year. But then Kyle lost and took bronze in 19. And then just lost. I don't want to say fairly decisively but it was six to three and there was a late takedown. He kind of gave it up and maybe... They are gonna wrestle again in like two weeks here. So, you know, you have to say Sadulaev at this point. There's nothing else to say unless Kyle proves us otherwise."
Later on in the interview, the duo discussed whether wrestlers like Kyle Snyder and Abdulrashid Sadulaev should go to MMA. Adding on to this, 'Funky' said that they are making enough money wrestling and, according to him, they don't feel the need to move to MMA anytime soon.
Catch Ben Askren's interview on the Lex Fridman podcast below:
"I didn't prove it" - Ben Askren talks about how he failed to meet the expectations that everyone had for him
Another topic Ben Askren discussed on Lex Fridman's podcast was his career. He mentioned how he was once on Joe Rogan's GOAT list but failed to live up to everyone's expectations.
Speaking about his performances in the later years of his career, Ben Askren said:
"I didn't prove it. I don't deserve it... So it's like had I somehow gotten to convince Dana White we go and convince him in 2013 to make me an offer. And I didn't even need a good offer, I needed any offer. Had I gotten the offer then, maybe the outcome's different, right... I would never expect anyone to think of me that way. I didn't prove it. I know, I know what I was and I am good with that. And yeah, other people never got to see that."