NO HOLDS BARRED

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bellator Fighting Championships' welterweight champion Ben Askren.

At Bellator 64 on April 6, Ben successfully defended his title with a dominating, five-round unanimous decision over Bellator welterweight tournament winner Douglas Lima. We spoke with Ben Askren by phone Thursday afternoon, beginning by discussing his performance in this fight.

"I'm very happy with that fight. I thought it went well," he said during this interview. "Lima, I thought, was the best guy I've fought so far, obviously the most dangerous, and definitely the best standup, and he's dangerous on his back."

In addition, we discussed his development as a fighter and his upcoming trip to Singapore to train at Evolve MMA. We talked about his views on the need for stronger anti-doping measures in MMA, and his experiences with the drug testing when he wrestled in the NCAA, where he was a two-time Div. I national champion, and on the U.S. Olympic Team, of which he was a member in 2008 in freestyle wrestling.

We also talked about the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling, which take place Saturday, April 21, and Sunday, April 22, in Iowa City, Iowa. Ben will be making an appearance at the Fan Fest there on Saturday, and watching his younger brother, Max, compete on Sunday. We discussed the importance of this event, his picks for the winners in freestyle wrestling, and more.

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