Former UFC fighter's wife prays for 'miracle' as doctors consider drastic measure
Former UFC star and Olympic wrestler Ben Askren remains in the hospital due to an illness that has left doctors considering a lung transplant, according to his wife.
Askren's wife, Amy, said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that her husband has been in "limbo" with "good" and "bad" days, prompting another update.
"I haven't shared an update because Ben has been in limbo for a while and I was hoping to have him wake up and be the one to decide what to share…" she wrote on Facebook.
"Ben is still on a ventilator and ecmo to support him while he heals. There are good days and bad, but on the good, they have been able to wean his sedation enough for him to open his eyes and squeeze hands. His body can't handle coming off sedation too much yet. I'm still praying for a miracle with his current lungs, but they are currently starting the evaluation process for a lung transplant.
"I know transplants are such a blessing and I'm overwhelmed at the thought of him receiving a gift like that. No one would take better care of that gift than Ben."
She revealed earlier this month that her husband "developed severe pneumonia which came on very suddenly."
Askren recently signed with Real American Freestyle — the Hulk Hogan venture hoping to popularize professional freestyle wrestling.
The 40-year-old was an NCAA champion in the 170-pound division in 2006 and 2007 and went on to compete for Team USA in the 2008 Olympics. He won gold medals in the 2005 Pan American Championships and the 2009 World Championships.
He made his full transition to MMA fighting when he debuted in Bellator in 2010. He then competed in ONE Championship before taking on UFC.
He defeated Robbie Lawler via submission at UFC 235 before he lost to Jorge Masvidal in a high-profile bout. In 2021, he fought Jake Paul in a boxing match.
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