Ben Askren has bared all to fans as he showed off just how severe his bodily changes have been following a life-saving surgery.
The legendary former Bellator and ONE FC champion, who fought three times in the UFC, required a double lung transplant after a staph infection led to a severe bout of pneumonia earlier this year. He is now home from hospital, but still far from full health as evidenced in his newest social media post.
However, none of that is holding Askren down as he insists he will be much further along in a month’s time. He also noted that he still can’t walk without assistance from a walker, but is keen to work on that and regain his strength.
Ben Askren shows drastic body transformation in new video
Ben Askren has been sharing regular updates of his progress since receiving his double lung transplant and beginning to work on his recovery. He is already back on social media and posting about cryptocurrency, one of his favorite non-athletic interests, and posts videos every few days.
However, his newest was perhaps his most shocking yet as he showed off the true state of his body after undergoing a life-saving surgery. Going shirtless for the first time in his update videos, he looked remarkably gaunt and showed off his surgery scars and bandaging.
Askren noted that he is unable to walk, and showed himself curling a 5lb weight which he admitted was a significant struggle. He also shared a video from days before he fell ill, where he claimed he could easily curl 45lb and was in great shape.
In his first video in the hospital, Askren claimed to be weighing 147lb, which is a dramatic drop from even his UFC peak days of competing at the welterweight limit of 171lb. The last time he fought – against Jake Paul in a 2021 boxing match – he tipped the scales at 191lb.
Ben Askren’s message of defiance garners millions of views in minutes
However, the ultimate message of Askren’s video was a positive one. He insisted that he will be in a much-improved position within a month and implored viewers who are in better shape than him to do the same with their lives.
“I am where I am right now, but I’m going to be somewhere different in a month,” Askren said. “I’m going to work my a– off and I’m going to get better. And so, why can’t you too? What are you waiting for? There’s barely anybody in as low a physical condition as me right now.
“I can’t walk without using a walker or do a 5lb curl, it’s pathetic, I understand that. But as a result of starting I’m going to end up somewhere different. So those of you who aren’t started? Get your butt moving, get started. I’ve only got one way to go, you do too. Let’s make it happen.”