Former UFC Star ‘Died 4 Times’ During Emergency Transplant Surgery

It’s safe to say that the last month is one that former UFC competitor and ex-Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren will never forget.

The 40-year-old former Olympian was hospitalized with a severe case of pneumonia, and placed on a ventilator not long after.

In need of a double lung transplant, Askren’s wife Amy shared on social media that her husband was in critical condition after doctors informed her that Ben’s situation was life-threatening after developing a staph infection and having to be sedated.

The cost of the double lung transplant Askren needed was an estimated $2 million, which his insurance did not cover.

Jake Paul, who beat Askren via first-round TKO in their professional boxing match back in April of 2021, brought awareness to his situation, revealing the dire circumstances the 19-win MMA fighter was facing and calling for fans to donate whatever they could to help him get his procedure.

Paul’s plea seemingly worked as Askren’s surgery was covered by an anonymous donor.

On Thursday, Askren posted a video on Instagram informing his fans how he’s doing since the procedure while admitting something shocking — he actually died multiple times on the operating table.

“No recollection, zero idea, no idea what happened,” Askren said of his memory about his situation. “I just read through my wife's journal. It's like a movie. It's ridiculous. I only died four times, where the ticker stopped for about 20 seconds.”

It’s not known how long it will take Askren to fully recover from his experience, though the typical recovery timeline for a situation like Askren’s is several months.

Askren went 1-2 in his three-fight UFC stint.

He beat former welterweight champion Robby Lawler via bulldog choke in his UFC debut, but subsequently lost to Jorge Masvidal via flying knee in his second fight and he was defeated by Damian Maia via rear-naked choke in his last bout before retiring from MMA.