Ben Askren’s story took a turn nobody saw coming, least of all him. The man who spent years shrugging off punches and takedowns found himself in the fight of his life, not against an opponent in the cage, but against an invisible enemy inside his own body.
One day, he was cracking jokes on podcasts and coaching young wrestlers; the next, he was hooked up to machines, his lungs drowning in infection, his family holding vigil as doctors worked frantically to keep him alive. It was the kind of battle where grit and toughness meant nothing; only modern medicine, luck, and the skill of surgeons stood between him and the unthinkable. And somehow, against all odds, he made it through.
From Unstoppable Fighter to Fighting for Every Breath
Ben Askren, the former UFC star and Olympic wrestler, has always been known for his toughness, both on the mat and in the cage. But nothing could’ve prepared him for the brutal battle he faced this summer. In late May 2025, what started as a simple staph infection spiraled into a nightmare: severe pneumonia, multiple brushes with death, and an emergency double lung transplant that saved his life. For over a month, Askren was in a medically induced fog, his body ravaged by infection, his lungs failing. When he finally woke up, he had no memory of the ordeal, only his wife Amy’s journal entries to piece together the terrifying reality: his heart had stopped four times.
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The staph infection, a common but dangerous bacterial illness, spread rapidly. By early June, Askren was hospitalized in Wisconsin, sedated and placed on a ventilator as pneumonia took over his lungs. Doctors warned his family that his condition was life-threatening. At one point, he was put on ECMO (a machine that oxygenates blood outside the body) just to keep him alive while he waited for a lung transplant. The timeline was brutal: from May 28 to July 2, Askren was in a medical blackout, his body shutting down repeatedly. His wife later revealed that in those weeks, he “died” four times—his heart stopping for 20 seconds each time before doctors revived him.
The physical toll was staggering. Askren, once a hulking 197-pound welterweight, withered to 147 pounds, a weight he hadn’t seen since he was 15. In a tearful Instagram video from his hospital bed, he joked darkly, “The ticker stopped for about 20 seconds. That’s not ideal.” But behind the humor was a man grappling with the fragility of life. For someone who built a career on dominance — two-time NCAA wrestling champ, Bellator and ONE Championship titleholder — this was the first fight he couldn’t control.
🥺❤️ Ben Askren speaks out for the first time.
He saw all of the support 🎥 @Benaskren pic.twitter.com/gwv1Z2WPf1
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) July 9, 2025
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The Comeback: Love, Loss, and a Second Chance
What kept Ben Askren going? In his own words, it was the “outpouring of love” from fans, friends, and the wrestling community. He compared it to “attending his own funeral,” referencing how people often only express their admiration after someone’s gone. The support was overwhelming: fundraising campaigns, heartfelt messages from rivals like Jake Paul (who even donated to his recovery), and tributes from legends like Daniel Cormier and Chuck Norris. A single donor contributed £368,000 to help cover the transplant costs, a gesture that left Askren and his family stunned.
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The double lung transplant, performed on June 30, marked a turning point. But it’s just the start of a grueling recovery. Askren now faces months of rehab, relearning how to use his body, and adjusting to a new reality with immunosuppressants to prevent organ rejection. His wife Amy wrote, “This is the beginning of a new lifestyle for Ben.” Yet, true to form, Askren is already talking about giving back: coaching, mentoring, and using his platform to help others.
The scariest part? How fast it all happened. Five weeks before the transplant, Askren was “completely healthy,” according to Amy. Staph infections are common among athletes, but few expect them to escalate so violently. His story is a wake-up call about the dangers of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and how quickly pneumonia can become deadly.
Askren’s fight isn’t over. But if there’s one thing we know about “Funky” Ben, it’s that he doesn’t stay down for long. As he put it: “I’m more motivated than ever to keep giving back.” For a man who’s cheated death four times, every day now is a bonus round.
