Former UFC Fighter Ben Askren Undergoes Double Lung Transplant, Wife Says

Former UFC fighter Ben Askren underwent a double lung transplant, his wife said Monday on social media.

Amy Askren expressed her gratitude for her husband receiving the transplant and thanked the donor and his relatives in a Facebook post.

“This is the beginning of a new lifestyle for Ben, but every new day he has is a gift,” she wrote. “It still doesn’t feel real that he was walking around completely healthy just 5 weeks ago. So much can change so quickly.”

The 40-year-old was hospitalized May 30 and put on a breathing tube, Mark Bader, Askren’s friend and a broadcaster at FloWrestling, said. Askren developed severe pneumonia, per ESPN. He was also thought to be suffering from a staph infection, according to Bader.

Ben Askren’s wife reveals ex-UFC star’s double lung transplant in encouraging health update https://t.co/M42SL0jwWq pic.twitter.com/6H2H98AsGf

— New York Post (@nypost) June 30, 2025

His wife, whom he shares three children with, said there were good and bad days throughout his health battle. They could occasionally ease Askren off sedation to where he was alert and could squeeze his loved ones’ hands, according to a post.

Amy told followers that Askren was put on a ventilator and Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), a life support system. He was then put on the transplant list on June 23, she said.

“I’m hopeful that in the coming weeks Ben will be able to give the next update, but hopefully he will wait until the drugs wear off,” Amy concluded Monday.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 17: Jake Paul fights Ben Askren in their cruiserweight bout during Triller Fight Club at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on April 17, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images for Triller)

Askren, an NCAA Division I wrestling champion twice over and a 2008 U.S. Olympic team member, left MMA in 2019, according to ESPN. He held a 19-2 MMA record.

In 2021, Askren fought Jake Paul, a YouTube-turned-boxer. Paul won the fight one minute and 59 seconds into the first round. (RELATED: Jake Paul Vs. Ben Askren Was An Absolute Screw Job For Fight Fans)

“Say a prayer for Ben Askren and praying for his family and we all need to support him,” Paul said Saturday after winning a fight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., telling people to send donations to his family.