Ben Askren Heads Home After Life-Threatening Pneumonia and Double Lung Transplant

Retired UFC Fighter Shares His Journey to Recovery

Former UFC fighter **Ben Askren** has been released from the hospital and is heading home, marking a significant milestone after a harrowing battle with severe pneumonia that necessitated a double lung transplant.

A Near-Fatal Ordeal

The retired mixed martial artist was recently in a critical, comatose state as doctors fought to save his life due to a severe pneumonia diagnosis. The situation escalated to the point where **Askren** required a double lung transplant, a procedure he has now recovered from sufficiently to be discharged.

Day 59, I’m out! With my beautiful wife supportive. That was a long journey and it’s not over because I still can’t really walk. I have to re-teach myself to do that among many other things. I guess I can make light of it because it was me and I don’t really remember it. pic.twitter.com/bW48R7x9xS

— Ben Askren (@BenAskren) June 4, 2024

**Askren** shared his progress on social media, stating, Day 59, I’m out! With my beautiful wife supportive. That was a long journey and it’s not over because I still can’t really walk. I have to re-teach myself to do that among many other things. He also reflected on the severity of his condition, with his wife, **Amy**, confirming that he had “a few times” come very close to death during his hospital stay.

Gratitude for Global Support

The path to recovery included weeks of crucial post-operative monitoring to ensure the transplanted lungs functioned correctly and to prevent infection or rejection. Upon his release, **Askren** expressed deep emotion regarding the outpouring of support he received from friends, family, and fans worldwide.

“I’ve said this already in one of the videos but the support you guys gave me, whether it was setting up a GoFundMe, whether it was helping my kids and wife get through it, I had friends come from all over the country just to hang out for a couple of days. It meant so much. It was so great to have all the support and all the love.”

—Ben Askren

The former athlete acknowledged the significant impact of this support, stating, Hopefully I’m not in this situation again for a really, really, really long time. I plan on living a while. So thank you guys again. Organ transplant recipients often face lengthy rehabilitation periods; for example, lung transplant patients in the U.S. typically require months of physical therapy to regain strength and mobility, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS Transplant Statistics).

Looking Ahead

**Askren**, a two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion before transitioning to professional fighting, now faces the challenge of rebuilding his physical strength and mobility. His journey highlights the critical importance of organ donation and the resilience of the human spirit in overcoming immense health challenges.