Ben Askren to face Belal Muhammad at RAF 11 in July

Belal Muhammad won't hold back against Ben Askren in his "miracle" return to the wrestling mats at RAF 11.

It’s a miracle. Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter and two-time NCAA Division I national champion Ben Askren is returning to the wrestling mats, and he’s taking on former UFC Welterweight champion Belal Muhammad at RAF 11 on Sat., July 18, 2026, inside UWM Panther Arena in Askren’s home state of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Askren announced […]

SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE - OCTOBER 24: Ben Askren poses for media during the UFC Fight Night Ultimate Media Day at the Mandarin Oriental on October 24, 2019 in Singapore, Singapore. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) | Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Ben Askren is making an incredible return to the wrestling mats. Promotional officials confirmed with MMA Fighting that Askren is set to face Belal Muhammad at RAF 11. The event takes place July 18 at Panther Arena in Milwaukee. Askren first announced the matchup with Yahoo! Sports. The return to action comes over a year after a severe bout with pneumonia that led to a double lung transplant, and nearly took his life. After nearly two months in the hospital, Askren was able to go home, where he’s continued to improve his health. “Funky” now makes his RAF debut, where he has served as one of the matchmakers since it’s inception less than a year ago. Muhammad makes his second promotional appearance, and looks to get his first RAF victory after losing to David Carr via tech fall at RAF 4 this past December. The former UFC welterweight champion is set to compete in the octagon this Saturday against Gabriel Bonfim in the main event of UFC Vegas 118 in hopes of snapping a two-fight skid.

Ben Askren makes his RAF debut this summer