Ben Askren says he ‘died four times’: Who is he and what happened to him? What we know so far
Former MMA champion and Olympic wrestler Ben Askren is recovering from a double lung transplant. In a heart-wrenching video that has now gone viral on social media, Askren shared an update on his health for the first time after receiving a double lung transplant.
Who is Ben Askren?
The 40-year-old Askren began his MMA career 19-0 and most notably held the welterweight titles in Bellator MMA and ONE Championship. He transitioned to MMA after an amateur wrestling career that saw him represent the United States in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Askren won three Big 12 championships and two NCAA Division I championships in wrestling at Missouri, adding gold medals at the 2005 Pan American Championships and 2009 World Championships. He reached the quarterfinals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Askren transitioned to the Octagon after his wrestling career and compiled a 19-2 record with one no-contest in 22 MMA fights. Askren became the Bellator welterweight champion in 2010 and made his UFC debut in 2019.
He lost two of three fights in UFC, including a five-second knockout loss to Jorge Masvidal in Las Vegas at UFC 239.
Askren made an unsuccessful boxing debut on April 17, 2021, losing to Jake Paul by TKO in the first round.
What happened to Ben Askren?
UFC veteran Ben Askren was hospitalised in early June with a life-threatening case of pneumonia. He went on ventilator support on June 17 and was added to the transplant waiting list on June 24, according to his wife.
Askren’s wife, Amy Askren, has periodically provided updates on her husband’s condition and the process they’ve endured during his health scare since it was first revealed on June 6.
According to CBS Sports, Askren, a 40-year-old father of three children, developed pneumonia following a staph infection. He was hospitalised in his home state of Wisconsin.
Ben Askren’s viral video
In an emotional video posted on Instagram on Wednesday, Askren discussed his recovery and shared some scary details.
Askren said he lost 50 pounds in 45 days, dealing with severe pneumonia, and has no memory of anything from the end of May to early July.
He said his heart stopped several times during his scary battle with severe pneumonia. UFC legend Ben Askren said he “died four times” before life-saving double lung transplant.
Ben Askren’s full statement
“I haven’t given you an update in a while,” Askren said in the video.
“I figure you deserve one. Whenever this is all the way over — I actually just read through my wife’s journal because 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 were the ticker stopped for about 20 seconds. That’s not ideal,” he could be heard saying in the video message.
He added, “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. Other than that, I don’t remember most of it.”
“The thing that was most impeccable to me was all the love I felt from everybody,” Askren said.
“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. I love you guys. I appreciate you guys,” he said.
“This has been tough, not only on me, but on my whole family and close community. I appreciate everything. Hope you guys appreciate the update. Like I said, somewhere down the road, maybe Amy and I can detail everything a little more,” Ben added.
