What Happened to UFC Fighter Ben Askren Recently?

Liputan6.com, Jakarta Former MMA champion and Olympic wrestler, Ben Askren, experienced serious health issues that required a lung transplant.

In early June 2025, Ben Askren was rushed to a hospital in Wisconsin with severe pneumonia.

The pneumonia was caused by a highly dangerous staphylococcal infection.

Ben Askren's condition rapidly deteriorated, leaving him in critical condition. He required a ventilator and other respiratory support, including ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation).

This situation put Askren in a very dangerous situation, and the medical team worked tirelessly to stabilize him.On June 24, 2025, Ben Askren was officially placed on the waiting list for a lung transplant.

This demonstrated the seriousness of Askren's condition and that a transplant was his only hope for recovery.

After several days of waiting, that hope finally came.

On June 30, 2025, Ben Askren finally underwent a double lung transplant.

This surgery marked a crucial milestone in his fight against a life-threatening disease.

A double lung transplant is a complex procedure that involves replacing both damaged lungs with healthy lungs from a donor.

Following the surgery, Ben Askren shared his experience in a video posted to his personal Instagram account on July 9, 2025.

In the video, he recounted the hardships of his ordeal. He revealed that his heart stopped beating several times during his critical period.

According to him, his heart stopped beating four times. He also experienced significant weight loss, losing approximately 50 pounds (22.7 kg) in 45 days.

Furthermore, Ben Askren reported experiencing memory loss from late May to early July.

Despite the difficult and critical times, Ben Askren expressed his deep gratitude for the support he received from his family, friends, and fans. He also thanked the medical team who fought to save his life.

The success of the double lung transplant has given him new hope for his recovery.

Currently, Ben Askren is still recovering from the transplant. This recovery process will be time-consuming and requires intensive care.

He will undergo physical therapy and rehabilitation to restore the strength and function of his lungs.

He will also need immunosuppressant medication to prevent his body from rejecting the new organ.Ben Askren's fight against this disease is an inspiration to many.

His resilience and determination to recover demonstrate the strength of humankind in the face of difficult trials.

It is hoped that Ben Askren will make a full recovery and return to a healthy and normal life.

Askren thanked fans and the wrestling community for their well wishes and said he is "more motivated than ever" to get back fit and do what he can to help out. 

"The thing that was most impactful to me was all the love I felt from everybody," he said. "It was almost like I got to have my own funeral. Right?" 

Askren's wife, Amy, wrote on Facebook that her husband was "completely healthy just five weeks ago", prior to him becoming ill. The couple have three children. 

Influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul, who beat Askren in a boxing match in 2021, made a public plea for donations to be made for his recovery last week.

Askren is considered one of the best American wrestlers of his generation and was a welterweight champion in Bellator and One Championship.

He was unbeaten in 20 fights when he signed for the UFC in 2019, in what was an unusual move in MMA.

Askren retired from MMA with 19 wins in 22 fights.