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Ben Askren provides health update in new video: Why did ex-UFC star need a double lung transplant?
Former UFC fighter Ben Askren provided an update on his health in a video recorded from the hospital bed after undergoing a double lung transplant in June.
Former UFC fighter Ben Askren provided an update on his health in a video recorded from the hospital bed after undergoing a double lung transplant in June. Askren was hospitalized last month with a severe case of pneumonia stemming from an infection in his staph. Referring to his double lung transplant, a tearful Askren said that he "died four times" during the painful and difficult surgical procedure.
Here's the video:
"Whenever this is all the way over, I actually just read through my wife's journal 'cause I don't remember anything from May 28th to July 2," a teary-eyed Askren said.
The former UFC star said he had "no recollection, no idea" of what happened in that time. "We'll kind of go through it all, and I just read through my wife's journal," he said. "It's like a movie, it's ridiculous. So I only died four times. The ticker stopped for about 20 seconds.
"That's not ideal. I hope you guys know that, but I got the double lung transplant," Askren added.
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Unknown Donor Funds Askren's Surgery
As Ben Askren was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia in June 2025 and was listed for a double lung transplant, the family started raising money through a crowdfunding campaign called Help Hope Live. One of the donors made a huge donation of £368,000, which helped Askren receive the critical operation, the Sun reported.
"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," he said. “The outpouring of love from the wrestling community was just amazing. It felt so good.”
