Former UFC welterweight Ben Askren, who held gold in both ONE Championship and Bellator MMA and had a storied collegiate wrestling career, is officially on the wait list for a lung transplant.
Askren’s sudden illness, first reported earlier this month, shocked MMA fans, and saw the star hospitalized with a severe case of pneumonia, first in Las Vegas, and later at a hospital in Wisconsin much closer to home.
In a recent update posted to social media, Askren’s wife Amy shared that the star is now on the waiting list for a lung transplant, and has been able to communicate, even asking for a coffee — which he cannot have at the moment.
“As of late last night, Ben is officially on the transplant list. Please pray he can get stronger and stay stable without complications while he waits, and that they find an amazing match for him and he accepts it smoothly,” Amy Askren wrote. “Also please pray for whoever that Donor may be, and his family. It’s going to be a huge adjustment for Ben, but our family is so thankful that his other organs are ok and that there is a path forward.”
She added that “while he is having more periods of awareness, he’s not able to look at his phone yet and respond to messages,” meaning that Ben Askren himself is still incommunicado for the time being. “I am hoping he can get there in the next week or two! Also hoping we will get to a place soon where he can talk while on a trach. Yesterday he kept mouthing something for a while and we finally figured out he was saying coffee! (He cant have it yet lol). What a huge relief to see him asking for something so normal. I’m so thankful his mind is healthy and I can’t wait to have him back. We are also so thankful for the amazing community we have-from close friends, friends We haven’t talked to in 20+ years, to strangers who have reached out to share their similar stories or pray. Thank you.”
Askren, 40, has not competed in MMA since 2019 but did return to combat sports for an infamous boxing match with Jake Paul in 2021.
