07/11/2025
🇺🇸 Everything Ben Askren has been through:
In June 2025, he was hospitalized with a severe lung !nfection that left him in a c’ma. He was unconscious for five weeks, |ost over 50 POUNDS, and suffered four card!ac arrests, but he fought as he had throughout his career.
On June 30, he received a double lung transp|ant and is now awake and recovering.
ðŸ’This isn't the first time his health has taken a h!t:
in 2019, he retired from MMA due to a serious hip problem, which required a total joint replacement. He also experienced several hard knockouts in his career, but was never diagnosed with severe bra!n damage.
🇺🇸Here are his achievements as an athlete:
:
(NCAA) National Champion
College record of 153-8, including two undefeated years
3-time Big 12 champion and 4-time All-American
Awarded the Dan Hodge Trophy in 2006 and 2007 (Top NCAA Wrestler), and the Schalles Award for Best Pinner in those same years
Freestyle competitor: USA Trials champion
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he reached the quarterfinals.
:
Welterweight Champion
4 consecutive defenses (a division record)
holding the belt for 1,120 days
Bellator Season 2 Welterweight Champion
:
Welterweight Champion
3 defenses + 1 retention for no contest
Today, despite everything, Ben shows that his fighting spirit goes beyond the octagon. 💯👑🇺🇸
