Takedown Report

What happened to Ben Askren? Former UFC fighter provides emotional health update

Former U.S. Olympic wrestler and UFC fighter Ben Askren shared an emotional update Wednesday, for the first time since undergoing double lung transplant surgery.
Askren developed pneumonia, followed by a staph infection, and has been hospitalized in Wisconsin.
He said in an Instagram video that he remembers very little of what happened between May 28 and July 2. Askren said he was brought up to speed on everything the family had experienced after reading a journal kept by his wife, Amy. “No recollection, zero idea, no idea what happened,” Askren said in the video. “We’ll kind of go through it all. I just read through my wife’s journal. It’s like a movie. It’s ridiculous. I only died four times, where the ticker stopped for about 20 seconds.”
Askren said he had also lost 50 pounds in 45 days. He currently weighs 147 and has started to regain his strength. He also thanked everyone for all the support.
“The thing that was most impeccable to me was all the love I felt from everybody,” Askren said. “It was almost like I got to have my own funeral. … The outpouring of love from the wrestling community was just amazing. It felt so good.” … more at … https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ufc/2025/07/09/ben-askren-health-update-lung-transplant/84527339007/

July 13, 2025 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment