Olympian Ben Askren Interview-ADCC 2009 Competitor, 2012 Olympics & MMA career.

New interview with the Four Time All American at the University of  Missouri 

On his invitation to compete at ADCC 2009

ADCC brings in the best people from all backgrounds. Obviously if you went on my jiu-jitsu credentials there would be no way I would have got invited. I had a good wrestling background so they were interested in bringing me in and Dan Lambert from ATT got the hook up for me, got me invited. I'm going against a lot more seasoned competitors in jiu-jitsu; I don't even know the rules still.

I'm going to go out there and give it the best I got. I think I can use my strengths to my advantage and give it a good shot at winning. If not, it's just going to be a good experience and I'll learn a lot about jiu-jitsu.

On taking another run at the Olympics in 2012

Just making the team was huge for me. I overcame a lot of adversity and beat some guys who had been there before. That was great, but I didn't perform up to the level I felt I should have when I got there. It was disappointing to me. That is one of the main reasons I am coming back.

I don't like the way I went out. That's not how I want to be remembered. I don't want that to be last memory in wrestling, which was losing in the second round of the Olympics.

On his wrestling background and now competing in MMA

I think it's a target slash there are a lot of people who won't fight us because they know they can't beat a good wrestler. That's a part of it. I know I got a fairly big name because of my wrestler not because of anything I've done in fighting and that will help me get into the bigger shows.

Also, people know if they beat me they can put that on their resume as something they have done. Every time I step in there, I look forward to the challenge. Obviously I'll be getting better opponents coming up here and I hope they got a target on me. I hope people want to fight me.

HT: Uniting Locals Through Mixed Martial Arts