Ben Askren remains hospitalized, provides latest health update

Former UFC and Bellator fighter Ben Askren turned 41 on Friday while he remains hospitalized in Wisconsin recovering from a double lung transplant.

In early June, Askren's wife, Amy, revealed that the former ONE FC and Bellator champion had been hospitalized in Nevada with "severe pneumonia." He was moved to a Wisconsin facility to be closer to home and family. He underwent a double lung transplant and continues to recover. 

"Funky" provided a birthday health update from his hospital bed looking healthier and having gained a little weight. 

"Yo guys. Update No. 3. It's going pretty well. I'm getting a lot better. Starting to put some weight back on but I did have a few setbacks," Askren said in a video posted to social media. 

"I was really hoping I would go home today because it's my birthday and it got pushed back because I had some setbacks this week," Askren continued. "I got a procedure that didn't work, and then I did have a procedure that did work, but it took a little longer than we thought. I was really disappointed this morning but I remembered Stockdale Paradox from the book 'Good to Great.'"

Author Jim Collins popularized The Stockdale Paradox which emphasizes the importance of confronting harsh realities while maintaining unwavering faith in ultimate success.

"He was a prisoner of war, and he said the people who thought they were going to get out by their birthday, or by Easter, or by Christmas - He said they always went down hill right afterwards. He said, I never gave up hope I was going to make it out. He was a prisoner of war for like six years, and he made it out," Askren said. 

"I always try to click back to that because, yes, I'm disappointed that I didn't get out today but maybe it is what is best. And I am making a lot of progress. I'm getting better. I think this is like day 55, or something, in the hospital, so it's definitely not ideal. I would have rather had a summer, but I didn't die. And I'm getting better. And I'll see my family soon."