Ben Askren to remain hospitalized following transplant

It is being reported that UFC and Bellator fighter Ben Askren will remain hospitalized after double lung transplant.

Askren turned 41 on last Friday.

In early June, Askren’s wife, Amy publicly revealed that he was hospitalized but it was for “severe pneumonia” in a Nevada hospital. Askren was later moved to a hospital in Wisconsin closer to his home and his family.

He underwent a double lung transplant, and he continues to recover.

Askren provided a health update from the hospital. He looked healthy and as if he had gained some weight in recovering from the transplant.

“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.

Askren continued, “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. The piece 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 downhill 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.”

Askren retired from MMA 2019.