UFC veteran Ben Askren opened up about his double lung transplant after being hospitalized from a serious bout with pneumonia.
Askren appeared gaunt and emotional following his successful surgery in a video posted to social media, saying he died “four times.”
“So, I only died four times, where the ticker stopped for about 20 seconds. That’s not ideal. I don’t think you guys know that. But I got the double lung transplant,” he said. “I made it out to the other side of it, gaining quite a bit of strength. We’re going to use everything again. I was actually on the scale yesterday — 147 pounds. I haven’t been 147 pounds since I was 15 years old. So, I lost 50 pounds in a 45-day period. So, man, that was a battle, although I don’t remember most of it.”
Askren thanked his fans and supporters for their love and support throughout this challenging time.
“And the thing that was most impactful to me was all the love I felt from everybody. And it was almost like I got to see my own funeral, right? I still remember it 30 years ago when Dave Schultz died, and you listen to all these older people, you know, recollect how much they enjoyed him, how much they loved him,” he said.
NEW: Former MMA fighter Ben Askren says he "died" four times, says he feels like he experienced his own funeral.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 9, 2025
Askren got emotional as he described his current condition, explaining how he lost all recollection from May 28 to July 2.
The former fighter was hospitalized for… pic.twitter.com/wb3QSpOU6K
As noted by Uncrowned, Askren began his “MMA career 19-0 and most notably held the welterweight titles in Bellator MMA and ONE Championship.”
“In 2019, he was a part of the first and only ‘MMA trade,’ which saw him swap from ONE with Demetrious Johnson to join the UFC roster. Askren only fought three times for the promotion, all in 2019, before hip injuries ultimately led to his retirement,” it added.
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