Former UFC star Ben Askren has given an update from the hospital.
The former Bellator and ONE Champion nearly lost his life this summer after battling a staph infection and severe case of pneumonia. Askren ‘died four times’ before he got his double lung transplant in late June.
Askren later returned home to his family, inspiring so many in the MMA community with his recovery and positive outlook after a body transformation.
However, it looks like Askren isn’t out of the woods just yet, as the former UFC welterweight was recently hospitalized.
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Ben Askren updates fans on small health ‘hiccup’
On Monday, Askren shared a health update to his social media, saying life isn’t ‘all sunshine and rainbows’.
“Well, as you guys can probably tell, I’m not home anymore, unfortunately,” Askren said in a video.
“I had my first checkup this morning. They didn’t like the way the last chest tube looked. Thought it was infected, put me on some antibiotics, and then, had a few X-rays. Hopefully get this solved fast.
But, right, Stockdale Paradox, it wasn’t always gonna be smooth,” Askren continued.
“It wasn’t always gonna be easy. It wasn’t gonna always be all the way up. So, hopefully, this is a small hiccup, then I’m back home getting stronger again. I thought you guys [would] appreciate the update.”
Askren, 41, is married to his wife Amy and is a father of three children. He retired from combat sports in 2021 following a loss to Jake Paul in his boxing debut.
Ben Askren won UFC debut against former champion in 2019
There was a time in 2019 when Askren stood undefeated in the top-5 of the UFC welterweight division.
Askren was one-half of a tradeoff between UFC and ONE Championship in 2018 as the former champion was traded to the premier promotion for UFC flyweight ‘GOAT’ Demetrious Johnson.
Askren improved to 19-0 in his lone UFC win over former UFC welterweight king Robbie Lawler, when he submitted him with a bulldog choke at UFC 235.
The win came with some controversy, however, as Lawler didn’t tap out to the submission and wasn’t unconscious when Askren let go of the choke after referee Herb Dean had stopped the contest.