Former UFC fighter and Bellator champion, Ben Askren, has undergone a successful double lung transplant one week after being placed on the waiting list due to severe pneumonia that left him on a ventilator in critical condition. His wife, Amy Askren, shared an emotional update on social media Monday morning, expressing gratitude and hope for his recovery. "We are so thankful to share that Ben has received a double lung transplant," Amy wrote. "We are forever thankful to the donor and his family. This is the beginning of a new lifestyle for Ben, but every new day he has is a gift. It still doesn't feel real that he was walking around completely healthy just five weeks ago. So much can change so quickly. Please keep Ben in your prayers that his body welcomes the new lungs as if they were his own. I am constantly in awe of all the people carrying us through right now. I can't wait to tell Ben all about it. "I'm hopeful that in coming weeks Ben will be able to give the next update, but hopefully he will wait until the drugs wear off "Askren, a 40-year-old father of three children, developed pneumonia following a staph infection. He was hospitalized in his home state of Wisconsin. Askren retired from MMA in 2019 after a three-fight stint with the UFC. He made his MMA debut in 2009 after a decorated collegiate wrestling career that saw him become a two-time NCAA Division 1 champion. The 2008 Olympian would go on a decade-long undefeated streak inside the cage, winning world titles in Bellator and ONE, and was widely regarded as one of the best fighters in the world outside the UFC.
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