Why was Ben Askren hospitalized for over a month? UFC fighter reveals near-fatal health scare

Former UFC and mixed martial artist Ben Askren took to his Instagram handle on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, to give his fans and followers an update on his health.

Ben revealed that he was hospitalized for over a month as he underwent a double lung transplant. He also revealed that his condition was critical as he suffered from a severe case of pneumonia, which stemmed from a staph infection.

Ben Askren shared his health updates from his hospital bed, where he is currently recovering. His wife, Amy, regularly shares updates on his health on social media, keeping fans and supporters informed.

What did Ben Askren reveal about his health in the recent video?

On Wednesday, Ben posted an emotional video from his hospital bed where he spoke of his health battles. He began the video by greeting and said that he wanted to share information regarding his health. In the video, he said that he has no memory of what happened from May 28 to July 2, 2025.

He then said that he had to read through his wife's journal to know what had happened during that time. He then said:

''I just read through my wife’s journal, and it’s like a movie…I only died four times when the ticker stopped for about 20 seconds, that’s not ideal, and you guys know that. But I got the double lung transplant, I made it to the other side of it, gaining quite a bit of strength. We’re going to do everything again, I was actually on the scale yesterday, 147 pounds. I haven’t been 147 pounds since I was 15 years old…''

He continued:

''So that was a battle. And I don’t remember most of it. And the thing that was most impactful to me, was all the love I felt from everybody. And it’s almost like I got to have my own funeral. I still remember 30 years ago, [Olympic wrestler] Dave Schulz died and you listen to all of these people recollect how much they enjoyed him, and how much they loved him. Obviously, he never had to hear that, I’m sure some people told him.''

He then concluded the video by showing gratitude to his fans, supporters, and people from the wrestling community who showered him with their love and support. He said:

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''I love you guys, I appreciate you guys, it’s been tough, not only on me but my whole family and my close community. So I appreciate everything, and I hope you guys appreciate the update, and sometime down the road maybe Amy and I can detail everything a little more.''

Ben is best known as the dominant welterweight MMA fighter who went undefeated for almost a decade, and a two-organization champion.

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