Ben Askren, a former pro mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter who also represented United States wrestling at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, is awake and talking after surviving one of the most grueling battles of his life—not in the octagon, but in a hospital bed.
Askren, 40, revealed in an Instagram post on Wednesday that he lost 50 pounds in just 45 days after contracting severe pneumonia, which ultimately led to a double lung transplant.
“I actually just read through my wife’s journal because I don’t remember anything between April 28th and July 2,” Askren said. “I only died four times, where the ticker stopped for about 20 seconds. Not ideal.”
Askren added that while learning to use everything again and regain strength, he recorded his weight on Tuesday and learned he was 147 pounds. “I haven’t been 147 pounds since I was 15 years old,” he said.
In the video above, Askren fights through tears, saying what was most impactful to him “was the love I felt from everybody. It was almost like I got to be at my own funeral.”
“The outpouring of love from the wrestling community was just amazing. It felt so good,” he said. “I feel motivated to keep giving back. I love you guys and appreciate you guys.”
Askren retired from MMA in 2019 after competing in the UFC, Bellator, and ONE Championships. He remained undefeated in both Bellator and ONE, where he was also the longest-reigning champion in each organization’s history. Askren remained active in the combat-sports community, including a brief stint where he tried professional boxing—losing to Jake Paul by first round technical knock-out (TKO) in 2021.
Askren was admitted to a Wisconsin hospital in May with a severe case of pneumonia. But according to his wife, Amy, who detailed the ordeal on Facebook, the illness got so bad he was eventually put on a ventilator and, eventually, added to the list for a lung transplant.
“It still doesn’t feel real that he was walking around completely healthy just 5 weeks ago,” Amy wrote in a Facebook post on June 30. “So much can change so quickly.”
Pneumonia, especially if it’s complicated by other factors like underlying infections or immune suppression, can cause irreversible damage to lung tissue. In Askren’s case, the infection was so severe that both lungs failed, necessitating a double lung transplant. The surgery involves removing both affected lungs and replacing them with healthy donor organs, a process that also comes with its own risks and requires lifelong immunosuppression to prevent rejection of the new tissue.
According to Sports Illustrated, Askren’s double-lung transplant cost an estimated $2 million, which wasn’t going to be covered by his health insurance, so his wife Amy turned to crowdfunding to encourage donations from friends, family, and fans. Notably, Jake Paul said he would help cover Askren’s medical bills, while also slamming UFC CEO Dana White and the medical-insurance industry at large for not offering to help.
“None of these people, like Dana [White] or anyone, are stepping in. So I feel like I have to do something,” Paul said at a press conference.
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