Ben Askren’s Lung Transplant Recovery and Return to Wrestling

If you follow combat sports, you probably know Ben Askren as the wrestler with a 19-2 record and a UFC stint that ended with a five-second KO. But in 2025, his story took a much heavier turn: pneumonia landed him on a ventilator, then on the lung transplant list, and during surgery his heart stopped four times.

Age: 40 (born July 18, 1984) · MMA Record: 19 wins, 2 losses · Double Lung Transplant: Required June 2025 · Deaths During Surgery: 4 times · Return to Wrestling: Announced for July 18, 2026

Six biographical facts that tell the story:

What has happened to Ben Askren?

Ben Askren’s health crisis

• On or around May 28, 2025, Askren was hospitalized with severe pneumonia (New York Post)
• He was placed on a ventilator and eventually in a coma (MMA Junkie)
• His wife Amy told Yahoo Sports that by late June 2025 he was officially on the lung transplant list
• The transplant was performed successfully in late June 2025, according to CNN

The lung transplant

• Askren later told the New York Post that he “only technically died four times” during the illness and surgery
• His heart stopped for approximately 20 seconds at one point
• He lost about 50 pounds, dropping to 147 pounds (ESPN)

Recovery and return

• Askren said he had no recollection of the period from May 28 to July 2, 2025 (New York Post)
• In June 2026, he announced a return to wrestling at RAF 11 on his 42nd birthday, July 18, 2026 (Yahoo Sports)
• The event is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin – his home state

Bottom line: Ben Askren survived a double lung transplant that stopped his heart four times and is now returning to wrestling for a one-off match. For fans, it’s a feel-good story. For his doctors, it’s a cautionary case about how fast pneumonia can escalate.

What caused Ben Askren’s illness?

Pneumonia complications

• Askren developed severe pneumonia in late May 2025 (CNN)
• The infection caused significant lung damage, making a transplant necessary
• The exact causative pathogen has not been publicly specified

Need for double lung transplant

• Once lung damage was irreversible, Askren was placed on the national transplant list
• His wife managed communications during the crisis
• The transplant was performed at an undisclosed hospital

The implication: a respiratory infection that most people recover from in weeks turned into a life-threatening event for one of the fittest men in combat sports.

Why did Ben Askren quit the UFC?

Career decision at age 33

• Askren retired from MMA in 2021 at age 33 (Wikipedia)
• He explained that he no longer had the same passion for fighting and wanted to avoid long-term damage
• His UFC run consisted of three fights: a win over Robbie Lawler, a loss to Demian Maia, and a record-setting KO loss to Jorge Masvidal (5 seconds)

Transition to boxing and other ventures

• After MMA retirement, Askren boxed Jake Paul in 2021, losing by TKO
• He remained active in wrestling coaching and podcasting
• His health crisis in 2025 interrupted these activities

The trade-off: Askren left the UFC before he turned 34, preserving his health enough that a lung transplant could save his life a few years later.

Did Jake Paul pay for Ben Askren’s lung transplant?

The rumor

• Shortly after news of the transplant broke, social media users speculated that Jake Paul (who has wealth and a prior rivalry with Askren) covered the medical costs
• The rumor spread without evidence

Confirmation or denial

• Neither Askren nor his family has confirmed any payment from Paul
• No credible source has reported such a transaction
• Given the lack of evidence, the claim remains unverified

What this means: until either party speaks publicly, the Jake Paul payment angle belongs to speculation, not reporting.

Is Ben Askren returning to wrestling after his lung transplant?

Announcement

• On June 1, 2026, Askren posted that he would wrestle at RAF 11 on July 18, 2026
• He will face Belal Muhammad in a wrestling match
• The appearance was described as a one-off, not a full competitive comeback

Current training

• Askren has been training at Roufusport in Milwaukee
• He said he wants to “wrestle once, enjoy it, then focus on coaching and family”
• His weight has stabilized since the transplant

For Askren, the choice is clear: one match to say goodbye to his competitive wrestling career, or risk pushing for more and undoing the recovery.

Timeline

• July 18, 1984 – Born in Hartland, Wisconsin
• 2008 – Olympic wrestler for United States
• 2011–2013 – Bellator welterweight champion
• 2019 – UFC debut vs. Robbie Lawler
• July 2019 – Fight vs. Jorge Masvidal (fastest KO in UFC history – 5 seconds)
• 2021 – Retired from MMA at age 33
• Late May 2025 – Hospitalized with severe pneumonia
• Late June 2025 – Double lung transplant performed
• July 9, 2025 – Askren gives post-transplant interview, says he “died four times”
• June 2026 – Announces wrestling return at RAF 11
• July 18, 2026 – Scheduled wrestling match vs. Belal Muhammad

Clarity section

Quotes

“I only technically died four times.”

— Ben Askren, speaking to the New York Post

“I love wrestling and wrestling has done so much for my life.”

— Ben Askren, via Instagram (as reported by Yahoo Sports)

“Ben Askren is now training wrestling again!”

— FloWrestling, via Facebook

Summary

Ben Askren’s story is not just about survival — it’s about what a person chooses to do after their body has been rebuilt. The lung transplant gave him a second set of lungs; the wrestling return gave him a second act. For the combat sports community, the implication is clear: recovery from a catastrophic health event is possible, but the decision to compete again after one is deeply personal and medically risky. For Askren, the match on July 18, 2026, will be a farewell, not a beginning — and that may be the healthiest choice of all.

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