What happened to Ben Askren? Health struggles explored as UFC star’s wife pleads for prayers amid hospitalisation

Ben Askren’s wife, Amy, shared a worrying update on the former MMA fighter’s health. She penned a Facebook post revealing that the ex-UFC star was “unable to respond to anything” after he was rushed to hospital. Amy Askren wrote,

“You may have heard that my husband Ben is going through something. He developed severe pneumonia which came on very suddenly. He’s currently in the hospital and unable to respond to anything at this time.”

She added,

“We welcome all prayers for healing and for peace. We are trying to keep life as normal as possible for our children currently and doing our best to support them thoughtfully so please refrain from discussing it with them for now.”

Apart from suffering from “severe pneumonia,” Ben Askren, aka Funky, is reportedly struggling with a “severe staph infection,” according to @MrPatMineo. The Wrestling Room (Pat Mineo) claimed (via X) that the ex-NCAA champion was in critical condition on June 7 before Amy posted on Facebook.

Funky has struggled with hip-related issues in the past, which he revealed after announcing retirement in 2019. According to CNN, he confirmed on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show,

“I’m retiring from the sport of mixed martial arts, and frankly, I’m retiring from everything. [...] I’ve been having hip problems and I finally had the discussion with my doctor. I actually got the MRI before my last fight and I need a hip replacement. So, man, that’s it for me.”

Ben underwent a procedure "Birmingham hip resurfacing" in 2020. He talked about his health struggles in an interview with MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck in November. Ben Askren revealed how, after the procedure, his chronic back pain was gone. He recounted,

"The day after the surgery, it was just gone. It was wild. I wasn’t anticipating that. I just thought I had a bad back because I wrestled my whole life, and the morning after my surgery I woke up and my back pain was gone. I thought maybe it was because I was on pain pills, but it just never came back.”

The retired UFC fighter, who was facing back issues for a long time, also discussed his potential return and said,

“I would say, never say never. I think it’s unlikely, but I’m gonna wrestle next year. Not WWE wrestle, but real wrestle. I need a reason to train and stay in shape. I love eating ice cream and everything else. I haven’t got on a scale in a year. I haven’t gotten on a scale since I fought Demian Maia over a year ago.”

Funky was also knocked during his second UFC fight against Jorge Masvidal in 2019, but fortunately didn't suffer any significant damage, per NYT's The Athlete.

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More about Ben Askren's wrestling and MMA career

Ben "Funky" Askren is a former wrestler, mixed martial artist, and professional boxer. According to BoxRec, he was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and later represented the Missouri Tigers (University of Missouri). According to Mizzou’s official website, Ben Askren held a record of 153-8, finishing NCAA runner-up during his first two years.

Funky later became the National Collegiate Athletic Association champion twice, with a combined 87-0 record in his last two seasons. According to Team USA, Askren also represented his nation at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Ben was also a volunteer assistant for two years at the University of Missouri before pursuing his MMA career.

The wrestler-turned-mixed martial artist remained undefeated during his fights at promotions like Bellator and ONE Championship. Ben Askren made his UFC debut in March 2019 with a fight against Robbie Lawler, which he won. His next two fights later that year ended in defeats and eventually resulted in a retirement.

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Ben Askren lost two consecutive fights and bid farewell to the Octagon in 2019

After his undefeated reign at Bellator and ONE Championship, Funky had his first Ultimate Fighting Championship match against Robbie Lawler at UFC 235: Jones vs. Smith. The former ONE Welterweight Champion was able to outperform his adversary with a first-round submission win, according to ESPN.

At UFC 239: Jones vs. Santos in July 2019, Askren faced Jorge Masvidal but lost the fight with the fastest KO in the championship’s history. Masvidal knocked Ben out within five seconds after he delivered a flying knee. According to NYT’s The Athletic, the Nevada State Athletic Commission medically suspended Funky till September.

During a press conference, Dana White also gave an update on Ben Askren’s condition after the knock-out finish (via MMA Fighting),

“He’s good [...] All of his stuff came back negative so he’s OK. I’m sure he’s not OK [with the loss] but he’s [good enough].”

Ben faced Demian Maia at UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren in October 2019 but lost in the third round by submission. The ex-MMA fighter announced his retirement in November, citing hip issues.

While Ben Askren never made a return to MMA, he fought Jake Paul in April 2021. The younger Paul brother won the fight with a TKO within one minute and 59 seconds.