Former MMA champion and Olympic wrestler Ben Askren is recovering after undergoing a double lung transplant, his wife Amy announced in a Facebook post on Monday.
Amy Askren expressed gratitude to the donor and his family, describing the transplant as the beginning of a new lifestyle for her husband. She noted that Ben was walking around completely healthy just five weeks ago, highlighting the sudden change in his condition.
The 40-year-old has been battling pneumonia in a Wisconsin hospital for several weeks. He was placed on ventilator support on 17 June and added to the transplant waiting list on 24 June, according to his wife.
Askren is a decorated wrestler, having won three Big 12 championships and two NCAA Division I titles at Missouri, as well as gold medals at the 2005 Pan American Championships and 2009 World Championships. He reached the quarterfinals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
In MMA, Askren compiled a 19-2 record, becoming Bellator welterweight champion in 2010 before making his UFC debut in 2019. He lost two of three UFC fights, including a five-second knockout loss to Jorge Masvidal. He also made an unsuccessful boxing debut in April 2021, losing to Jake Paul by TKO in the first round.
