Ben Askren Transplant: The Fight Beyond the Octagon
In early June 2025, Ben Askren was coaching and training like any retired athlete. Within weeks, severe pneumonia and a staph infection put him on full ventilator support. On June 30, he underwent a double lung transplant.
When Askren woke up, he had no memory of six weeks of his life. He’d lost 50 pounds. In typically blunt fashion, he joked he “only died four times.” His wife Amy kept a journal so he could reconstruct the battle he was unconscious for.
The fighter mentality that made Askren elite has to be recalibrated for a fight that operates on biological rules. Recovery is measured in months, not rounds. The toughest opponent he’s ever faced wasn’t across from him—it was inside his own chest.