Former MMA champion Ben Askren has been added to a lung transplant list and has shown small signs of improvement, according to his wife.
Askren, 40, remains hospitalized and in need of a lung transplant in his home state of Wisconsin, but his other organs are “OK” according to his wife, Amy. The former MMA and amateur wrestling standout’s condition has even improved to the point he requested coffee on Monday.
“As of late last night, Ben is officially on the transplant list,” Amy wrote on Facebook. “Please pray he can get stronger and stay stable without complications while he waits, and they find an amazing match for him and he accepts it smoothly.”
“Yesterday, he kept mouthing something for a while and we finally figured out he was saying, ‘coffee!’ (He can’t have it yet lol). What a huge relief to see him asking for something so normal. I’m so thankful his mind is healthy and I can’t wait to have him back.”
Askren has been hospitalized all month due to severe pneumonia. As of June 17, he was being supported by a ventilator.
Askren fought his entire professional career out of Hartland, Wisconsin, and he runs a wrestling academy out of the area. He retired from MMA in 2019 and was also a two-time NCAA Division I champion in wrestling and a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. He and Amy have three children together.
