Positive Ben Askren Update

It is being reported that after spending 59 days in a hospital in Wisconsin, former UFC and Bellator legend Ben Askren has been released and headed home.

Askren, 41 had been in a hospital in Wisconsin recovering from pneumonia and a double lung transplant.

“Day 59, I’m out!” Askren said in a video update posted to social media. “With my beautiful wife supportive. That was a long journey and it’s not over because I still can’t really walk. I have to re-teach myself to do that among many other things. I guess I can make light of it because it was me and I don’t really remember it.”

In a previous update video, Askren asks his wife Amy how many times he come close to death. Askren and Amy shared that he did indeed die at least four times but through the expertise of the medical staff, he was able to be revived.

Too close,” Amy responded. “A few times.”

“I don’t remember 35 days of this journey,” Askren said. “I think surgery was 24, or 25 days ago. It was. hard.”

During his extended time battling the illness and in recovery, Askren received an outpouring of love and support from the UFC community and people outside of the combat sports community.

Askren also received donations to help him and his family finance the procedure to save his life.

I’ve said this already in one of the videos, but the support you guys gave me, whether it was setting up a GoFundMe, whether it was helping my kids and wife get through it, I had friends come from all over the country just to hang out for a couple of days. It meant so much,” Askren said. “It was so great to have all the support and all the love.”

Askren ended with, “Hopefully I’m not in this situation again for a really, really, really long time. I plan on living a while. So, thank you guys again.”