Is Ben Askren Winning His Biggest Fight Yet? Who Is Ben Askren?

Ben Askren is no stranger to battles. But this time, he found himself fighting for breath. And life.

Askren, 40, who many remember for his wrestling grit and MMA fame, has been through something he never imagined. A double lung transplant. Not many fighters think their biggest opponent will be pneumonia.

How Did It Get This Bad?

Ben got hit hard. Pneumonia is no joke but his case turned scary real fast. By late May, he was fighting to breathe. By June, he was on a ventilator. His wife Amy kept friends and fans updated when Ben couldn’t. She wrote how he needed a transplant fast. The waiting must have felt like forever.

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Ben says he remembers almost nothing from late May to early July. When he woke up, he read Amy’s journal. He said it felt like reading a crazy movie script. He joked he “only died four times.” His ticker stopped more than once. He lost 50 pounds in just 45 days.

Imagine that. A man who once trained daily for cage fights, now lying in a hospital bed, hooked to machines, his body dropping weight faster than during any fight camp.

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What’s Keeping Him Going?

One thing about Ben — he always talks about the people in his corner. In his own words, he felt so much love. He called it “impeccable.” He said it felt like he got to attend his own funeral. That’s Ben. Always raw. Always honest.

His wife Amy stood by him. So did his wrestling kids. See, Ben runs a youth wrestling academy in Wisconsin. For him, coaching young grapplers is bigger than winning titles. He’s always been about giving back. That spirit probably helped him push through.

Ben was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa but calls Wisconsin home now. Long before the MMA lights, he was a star college wrestler. Back-to-back NCAA titles for Missouri. He even wrestled for the U.S. in the 2008 Olympics. Then he dominated Bellator and ONE Championship. Fans know him for his wrestling first, but also his big personality. Some loved him. Some not so much. He didn’t mind. He just did Ben.

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He stepped away from MMA after losing to Demian Maia in 2019. 19 wins, 2 losses, 1 no contest. Not bad for a funky-haired grappler with zero fear of trash talk. In 2021, he boxed Jake Paul. It didn’t go his way. But Ben being Ben, he shrugged it off.

Now he’s here. Still Ben. Just with new lungs.

Askren’s story shows even tough guys can face things that knock them flat. But you bet he’ll stand up again. His kids at the academy will see their coach back on the mat. He’ll tell them about this fight. And maybe they’ll see that true toughness isn’t always in the cage. Sometimes it’s in a hospital bed, fighting to take the next breath.