Ben Askren Remains Hospitalized, Currently Being Evaluated for Lung Transplant

Ben Askren is showing some signs of positive progress, but the retired mixed martial arts star is still fighting for his life after recently being hospitalized with pneumonia.

Askren’s wife, Amy, recently provided an update on his condition via Facebook. While the former Bellator and ONE Championship title holder has been able to open his eyes and “squeeze hands,” he remains on a ventilator and an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machine and is being considered for a lung transplant. According to mayoclinic.org, an ECMO machine is a form of life support that is used for life-threatening heart and lung conditions. It can provide “short-term help when the body can't provide the tissues with enough oxygen and blood flow.”

“I haven’t shared an update because Ben has been in limbo for a while and I was hoping to have him wake up and be the one to decide what to share,” Amy Askren wrote. “I’ve had some media people contact me that they are going to share an update and I would rather it come from me.

“Ben is still on a ventilator and ecmo to support him while he heals. There are good days and bad, but on the good, they have been able to wean his sedation enough for him to open his eyes and squeeze hands. His body can’t handle coming off sedation too much yet. I’m still praying for a miracle with his current lungs, but they are currently starting the evaluation process for lung transplant.

“Please pray for his continued healing, and if transplant is the solution, that he can get on the list quickly and easily. I know transplants are such a blessing and I’m overwhelmed at the thought of him receiving a gift like that. No one would take better care of that gift than Ben.

“Thank you for every message and all of the support. Despite this awful situation, I’m feeling so blessed by the community we’re surrounded by. Give your loved ones a hug today and make sure you’re prepared situations like this. Ben is the healthiest guy I know and I never could have expected this.”

A two-time NCAA national champion wrestler at the University of Missouri and a 2008 Olympian, Askren put his mat skills to good use in the mixed martial arts realm. He made his professional debut in 2009 and went unbeaten in his first 20 fights, capturing titles in Bellator and ONE along the way.

Askren was later part of a historic trade between ONE and the UFC, where the Las Vegas-based promotion dealt former flyweight king Demetrious Johnson to obtain the man known as “Funky.” While Askren submitted Robbie Lawler in his first UFC outing, he wouldn’t fight in MMA again after being finished by Jorge Masvidal and Demian Maia in back-to-back Octagon appearances in 2019.

Askren retired from MMA in November 2019, when he revealed that he would need to undergo hip replacement surgery. More recently, Askren tried his hand at boxing, falling to Jake Paul via first-round knockout in their April 2021 bout.