Ben Askren’s Unbelievable Pneumonia Ordeal: Died Four Times & Got a Double Lung Transplant
I suppose you’ve been blissfully unaware of MMA veteran Ben Askren’s latest life-or-death drama, so let me break it down for you. In early June, Askren, 40, was rushed to the hospital with a crippling case of pneumonia so severe it landed him in critical condition—and he’s only now filling in the blanks. In a July 9 Instagram video filmed from his hospital bed, “Funky & The Champ” host confessed that he has zero memories from May 28 through July 2. “No recollection, no idea,” he admitted, explaining that reading his wife Amy’s detailed journal of those weeks “is like a movie” (Instagram, July 9). According to Askren, his heart actually stopped four times for about 20 seconds each, a reality confirmed by hospital records viewed by TMZ Sports.
The normally clean-shaven ex-UFC star returned to our screens sporting a hefty beard, a persistent cough, and a noticeably gaunt frame. He revealed the life-saving procedure he underwent: a double lung transplant. Despite the monumental surgery, Askren is fiercely optimistic. “I made it out to the other side,” he declared, recounting how he’s relearning basic movements and rebuilding strength after shedding roughly 50 pounds in just 45 days—dropping to a shocking 147 pounds, the lightest he’s been since he was 15.
Askren also praised the outpouring of support from fans and the wrestling community, saying it felt like having his own funeral service. “The love I felt from everybody was unbelievable,” he shared, nodding to Amy’s tireless updates that kept rumors of his passing at bay. Back in June, Amy shut down false death reports via TMZ Sports, confirming “he is alive and definitely still fighting.”
While his next steps remain cautious, Askren hinted that he and Amy might eventually share more intimate details of the ordeal. For context, he joins a growing roster of celebrities who have publicly navigated severe health scares this year. Brian Austin Green revealed he nearly lost his appendix to a perforation and is now on the mend after emergency surgery (Instagram, April 2025). Meanwhile, actor Adam Devine admitted childhood injuries from a cement-truck accident still wreak havoc with chronic spasms (In Depth With Graham Bensinger, 2025). And Bachelor Nation alum Jason Tartick recently confessed to crawling on all fours to the ER after an RV trip aggravated a debilitating back injury (Trading Secrets podcast, March 2025).
So there you have it: a superstar fighter nearly felled by pneumonia, miraculously rescued by modern medicine and community devotion. And if you thought that was all, just wait until Askren decides to spill every last detail with Amy. Glad I could clear that up for you.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! Online, Instagram, TMZ Sports, In Depth With Graham Bensinger podcast, Trading Secrets podcast
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
