Former UFC fighter and Bellator champion Ben Askren underwent a double lung transplant one week after being placed on the waiting list due to severe pneumonia that left him on a ventilator in critical condition. His wife, Amy Askren, shared an emotional update on social media Monday morning, expressing gratitude and hope for his recovery.
“We are so thankful to share that Ben has received a double lung transplant,” Amy wrote. “We are forever thankful to the donor and his family. This is the beginning of a new lifestyle for Ben, but every new day he has is a gift. It still doesn’t feel real that he was walking around completely healthy just five weeks ago. So much can change so quickly. Please keep Ben in your prayers that his body welcomes the new lungs as if they were his own. I am constantly in awe of all the people carrying us through right now. I can’t wait to tell Ben all about it.
“I’m hopeful that in coming weeks Ben will be able to give the next update, but hopefully he will wait until the drugs wear off 😊”
Askren, a 40-year-old father of three children, developed pneumonia following a staph infection. He was hospitalized in his home state of Wisconsin.
Askren, a former U.S. Olympic wrestler, was a Season 2 tournament winner in Bellator before capturing the welterweight title in 2010. He successfully defended the belt four times and remained undefeated when he left the promotion.
He later signed with ONE Championship, where he added to his unbeaten record before being acquired by the UFC in a rare promotional “trade” that sent Demetrious Johnson to ONE. Askren won his UFC debut against Robbie Lawler, but back-to-back losses to Jorge Masvidal and Demian Maia led to his retirement from MMA in 2019.
In 2021, he briefly returned to combat sports, losing to Jake Paul by first-round knockout in a boxing match.
