UFC Fighter Ben Askren 'Died 4 Times' Waiting for Double Lung Transplant
- - - UFC Fighter Ben Askren 'Died 4 Times' Waiting for Double Lung Transplant
Charlotte PhillippJuly 11, 2025 at 3:25 AM
Al Bello/Getty; Ben Askren/Instagram
Ben Askren in April 2021 and on July 9, 2025.
Former Olympic wrestler Ben Askren is opening up about his time waiting for a lung transplant after contracting a critical case of pneumonia
The UFC alum said on Instagram that he while he was hospitalized for more than a month, he was unaware of what was going on around him and had to rely on his wife's journal to remember what happened
Askren underwent a double lung transplant and says he's now on the road to recovery
Ben Askren, a former Olympic wrestler, boxer and mixed martial artist, is opening up about his time waiting for a lung transplant after contracting a critical case of pneumonia.
In a candid Instagram video shared on Wednesday, July 9, the former UFC fighter, 40, spoke from his hospital bed about the difficult month he spent in the hospital awaiting new lungs.
According to Askren, he had no memories from May 28 through July 2, and he read his wife's journal to figure out what had happened to him.
"No recollection, zero idea, no idea what happened," Askren said in the video, still wearing a hospital gown as he chuckled between coughs. "I just read through my wife’s journal, and it’s like a movie. It's ridiculous. I only died four times, where the ticker stopped for about 20 seconds. That's not ideal, I don’t know if you guys know that."
Askren's wife Amy previously shared in a series of social media posts that Askren was placed on a ventilator in June after he was brought to a Wisconsin hospital in critical condition, and he received a spot on the donor list for a lung transplant on June 24.
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In his update, the boxer shared that he had lost about 50 lbs. during the 45-day stretch in the hospital, joking to his followers that he hasn't "been 147 lbs. since [I was] 15 years old."
“[I’m] gaining quite a bit of strength, learning how to use everything again," Askren shared.
"The thing that was most impeccable to me was all the love I felt," Askren continued. "It was almost like I got to have my own funeral."
"I still remember 30 years ago, when Dave Schultz died. He wasn’t always told — and now people recollect — how much they enjoyed him, how much they loved him. You know, obviously, he never got to hear that," Askren said, adding that in his case: "... The outpouring of love from the wrestling community was just amazing. It felt so good."
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Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty
Askren at a UFC Fight Night event on October 26, 2019 in Singapore.
Amy first shared the news about his complications from pneumonia on June, 7, announcing in a Facebook post that the former MMA fighter was taken to the hospital after developing “severe pneumonia.”
“You may have heard that my husband Ben is going through something,” Amy wrote. “He developed severe pneumonia, which came on very suddenly. He’s currently in the hospital and unable to respond to anything at this time.”
Amy, who has been married to Askren since 2010 and with whom he shares three children, continued to share updates throughout her husband's month-long hospital stay.
In an post shared on Facebook on June 30, after he received his double lung transplant, she wrote that the surgery marked a new beginning for the wrestler.
"This is the beginning of a new lifestyle for Ben, but every new day he has is a gift," she said, writing that it "still doesn't feel real" that her husband was "walking around completely healthy just 5 weeks ago."
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Askren is a two-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner who won titles in the ONE Championship and Bellator. He also competed in the 2008 Olympics.
In 2019, he announced his retirement from the UFC after just three fights, citing "hip issues," according to ESPN. He completed his UFC career with just three fights and a 1-2 record.
In his video on Wednesday, he shared that he was "more motivated than ever to sort of keep giving back and to do what I can and help out the best I can help out."
“I love you guys. I appreciate you guys because it’s been tough, not only on me but my whole family and my close community," Askren added, choking up. "I appreciate everything."
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