MMA legend Ben Askren has been hospitalized and is currently “unresponsive” after falling severely ill with pneumonia.
Known for his notable careers in both mixed martial arts and wrestling, Askren came out of retirement for a boxing match against Jake Paul in 2021, an event that garnered significant attention.
A former Olympian, Askren was an active competitor in MMA for over a decade.
News regarding his hospitalization was shared on Saturday night during the UFC 316 event held in New Jersey.
Askren, nicknamed “Funky,” has not participated in a professional fighting event since his exhibition boxing bout with Paul almost four years ago.
Despite his boxing appearance, he is still highly respected and remembered within the wrestling community as one of the sport`s greatest grapplers.
The 40-year-old Askren is reportedly battling “a sudden and severe onset of pneumonia.”
His wife, Amy, shared a heartfelt update on her husband`s condition through a social media post.
On Facebook, she wrote: “You may have heard that my husband Ben is going through something.”
“He developed severe pneumonia, which came on very suddenly,” she added.
“He’s currently in the hospital and unable to respond to anything at this time,” her message continued.
Amy Askren requested: “We welcome all prayers for healing and for peace.”
She also asked for privacy regarding their children, stating: “We are trying to keep life as normal as possible for our children currently and doing our best to support them thoughtfully, so please refrain from discussing it with them for now.”
Following the news, fans and fellow athletes were quick to send messages of support to the Askren family.
Former UFC champion Henry Cejudo posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Pray for Ben Askren.”
One fan offered encouragement, writing: “You got this Ben, keep fighting.”
Another commenter expressed gratitude for his contributions: “Wishing the best for Ben Askren and his family. Ben was an innovative and creative wrestler in his prime and now he builds up some of the best wrestlers America has ever seen. The wrestling world owes a debt of gratitude to a man like him.”
Askren started his wrestling journey at the young age of six.
During his college years, he wrestled for the Missouri Tigers and achieved the title of a two-time NCAA Division I national champion.
He was part of the United States wrestling team at the 2008 Olympics, where he was defeated by Cuba`s Ivan Fundora on points in the quarter-finals.
After his Olympic experience, the Iowa native transitioned his career to mixed martial arts.
He built a professional MMA record of 19 wins out of 22 fights. His first professional loss was a memorable and rapid five-second flying knee knockout delivered by Jorge Masvidal at UFC 239.
Askren`s highly publicized boxing match against YouTuber Jake Paul reportedly generated around 500,000 pay-per-view purchases.
Paul, who was 24 years old at the time, secured the victory via TKO just one minute and 59 seconds into the first round.
