Ben Askren, former world champion in both Bellator and ONE Championship, has survived a severe medical crisis. The former UFC fighter spent several weeks in a medically induced coma after developing pneumonia caused by a serious staph infection. A double lung transplant ultimately saved his life.
According to Askren, he came close to death multiple times. In his first public statement, the 40-year-old revealed that his heart stopped on four separate occasions during intensive care — once for more than 20 seconds. Visibly weakened but alert, he shared in a video message: “You know, the most impactful for me was all the love I saw from everybody.” He was clearly holding back tears.
Askren’s family reports that the medical costs have already exceeded two million US dollars. A fundraising campaign was launched to help ease the financial burden. Support has poured in not only from fans, but also from prominent figures in the MMA community. UFC President Dana White shared the campaign, as did Jake Paul, who faced Askren in the boxing ring in 2021.
An Olympic wrestler in 2008 and two-time NCAA champion, Askren is considered one of the most accomplished fighters to have competed outside the UFC. He remained undefeated for nearly a decade and made his long-awaited UFC debut in 2019. After three fights, he retired from MMA before briefly returning for a high-profile boxing match against Paul.
Full recovery will take time. But the fact that Askren is awake, speaking, and able to communicate with his family already borders on the miraculous. The former world-class athlete continues to fight — this time outside the cage, but with the same relentless determination.
