Following weeks of waiting, the MMA community now has a Ben Askren update from the man himself.
Last we heard from Askren’s wife, the former Bellator and ONE champ had undergone a double lung transplant at the end of June. At the time, she was hopeful that the next update would come from Askren himself.
Now, in a video shared on Instagram, Askren gave fans the update they’ve been waiting for:
“I don’t remember anything from May 28 to July 2. No recollection, zero idea, no idea what happened. We’ll kind of go through it all. I just read through my wife’s journal. It’s like a movie. It’s ridiculous. So, I only died four times where the ticker stopped for about 20 seconds. That’s not ideal.
“But, I got the double lung transplant and made it to the other side of it. Gaining quite a bit of strength. Learning to use everything again. I was actually on a scale yesterday and 147 pounds. I haven’t been 147 pounds since 15 years old. So, I lost like 50 pounds in a 45-day period. Man, that was a battle.”
Ben Askren Thanks the Combat Sports Community for Support
Throughout Askren’s recent health scare, both the MMA community and the wrestling community have rallied around him and his family.
When the former champ’s longtime friend Mark Bader informed fans that insurance wasn’t covering the life-saving double lung transplant, the MMA community and the wrestling community began donating to a Help Hope Live crowdfunding campaign to fund the procedure.
In Wednesday’s update, an emotional Askren thanked everyone for their support, singling out the wrestling community:
“The thing that was most impactful to me was all the love I felt from everybody. It was almost like I got to have my own funeral. … The outpouring of love from the wrestling community was just amazing. It felt so good. So, I’m more motivated than ever to get back and do what I can to help out the best I can help out.
“I love you guys. I appreciate you guys. This has been tough, not only on me, but on my whole family and close community. I appreciate everything.”
Looking Back at Ben Askren’s MMA Career
Following a successful NCAA wrestling career that saw him win two NCAA Division I championships, three Big 12 championships, and gold medals at both the Pan Am Games and the FILA Grappling World Championships, Askren decided to make the transition into MMA.
After rattling off three straight wins on the regional scene, he entered Bellator’s Season 2 Welterweight Tournament in 2010, defeating Ryan Thomas, Dan Hornbuckle, and Lyman Good to become the promotion’s Season 2 Welterweight Tournament Champion.
It was with Bellator that Askren made a name for himself in the MMA community, rattling off four straight title defenses with his grappling before vacating the belt and signing with ONE, then known as ONE FC.
There, Askren cemented himself as one of the best welterweights in the world, winning the promotion’s 185 pound championship while continuing to build on his undefeated record.
The former NCAA champ was so dominant during his reign, that fight fans began to wonder whether he could be the man to defeat Georges St-Pierre. Unfortunately, he didn’t join the UFC until 2019, after he was famously traded for Demetrious Johnson, with a potential GSP fight going down as one of the biggest “what ifs” in welterweight history.
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