Former Bellator MMA and ONE Championship welterweight champ and UFC star Ben Askren has been hospitalized after developing a severe medical condition.
Following reports on Saturday suggesting he had been stricken with a severe staph infection, Askren’s wife, Amy, revealed on social media that her husband was in hospital after contracting a serious case of pneumonia.
“You may have heard that my husband Ben is going through something. He developed severe pneumonia which came on very suddenly. He’s currently in the hospital and unable to respond to anything at this time,” Amy Askren wrote. “We welcome all prayers for healing and peace. We are trying to keep life as normal as possible for our children currently and doing our best to support them thoughtfully so please refrain from discussing it with them for now.”
Chael Sonnen, a close friend of the fighter, noted that “Ben in alive and prayers are wanted. Family choosing privacy at this time.”
Askren, 40, retired from MMA in 2019 following a loss to Demian Maia under the UFC banner. He’d started his career running up a 19-0, 1NC record, claiming gold in Bellator and ONE Championship, but long being shunned by UFC chief Dana White. When Askren did finally arrive in the UFC, he earned a controversial win over Robbie Lawler before losing back-to-back contests against Jorge Masvidal and Maia.
In 2021, he jumped to boxing, despite being best known for his wrestling, quickly being knocked out by Youtube star Jake Paul. Askren was an NCAA Division I wrestling champion who represented the U.S. at the 2008 Olympics.
