Former UFC fighter Ben Askren is currently battling for his life at a hospital in Wisconsin. On June 7, his wife, Amy Askren, shared on Facebook that the multiple-time MMA champion was suffering from “severe pneumonia,” which prompted his admission to the hospital. He has remained under sedation since then.
In a recent update posted on Tuesday, Amy described her husband, who is 40 years old, as being “in limbo” and noted that he is beginning the evaluation process for a lung transplant.
“I haven’t shared an update because Ben has been in limbo for a while and I was hoping to have him wake up and be the one to decide what to share,” she wrote, adding that she preferred to provide updates herself rather than have the media report it first.
Ben continues to require a ventilator and ECMO support as he recovers. Amy mentioned that there are both good and bad days; on some days, he has been sufficiently weaned off sedation to open his eyes and squeeze hands, albeit his body is still struggling to manage reduced sedation.
“I’m still praying for a miracle with his current lungs, but they are currently starting the evaluation process for lung transplant,” she shared, urging others to pray for his healing and for a prompt placement on the transplant list if needed.
“I know transplants are such a blessing and I’m overwhelmed at the thought of him receiving a gift like that. No one would take better care of that gift than Ben,” she stated.
Amy expressed her gratitude for the outpouring of support from their community during this challenging time. “Despite this awful situation, I’m feeling so blessed by the community we’re surrounded by. Give your loved ones a hug today and make sure you’re prepared for situations like this. Ben is the healthiest guy I know and I never could have expected this,” she wrote.
Throughout his illustrious career, Askren was recognized as one of the best wrestlers in the sport, bolstered by an impressive collegiate background from the University of Missouri. He won his first three professional MMA fights before joining Bellator MMA in 2010, where he secured the Bellator welterweight title and successfully defended it four times.
In 2018, Askren made headlines by being part of an unprecedented “MMA trade” with ONE Championship, exchanging places with former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson. He eventually retired from MMA after a brief stint in the UFC, where he competed in three fights in 2019, finishing with a record of 1-2 in the promotion.
After his MMA career, Askren faced Jake Paul in a boxing match in 2021, which resulted in a first-round knockout loss. Since then, he has returned to his roots in collegiate wrestling and has been actively involved in coaching at his Askren Wrestling Academy in Wisconsin.