Ben Askren, a former UFC star and Olympic wrestler, has been hospitalized with severe pneumonia, his wife announced on social media.
“You may have heard that my husband Ben is going through something,” Amy Askren wrote on Facebook. “He developed severe pneumonia which came on very suddenly. He’s currently in the hospital and unable to respond to anything at this time. We welcome all prayers for healing and peace.”
According to CBS News, the former Bellator welterweight champion, developed the infection after originally being diagnosed with a staph infection. His wife released her statement as rumors swirled within the MMA community.
Amy Askren requested privacy from the public for their family.
The couple has been married since April 2010 and share three children together: daughters Alex and Andy, along with son Ozi. The family lives in Wisconsin.
Amy also thanked her followers for sending “prayers for healing and for peace” during the difficult time.
“We are trying to keep life as normal as possible for our [three] children currently and doing our best to support them thoughtfully so please refrain from discussing it with them for now,” she explained.
Askren, who holds a 19-2 record in MMA, retired from the UFC in 2019.
The 40-year-old was a two-time NCAA Division I champion in wrestling at the University of Missouri. He concluded his collegiate career with a 153-8 record, which made him the winningest and most decorated wrestler in the university’s history.
Askren was a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. He also won welterweight titles in Bellator MMA and One Championship before making the transition to the UFC in the later part of his career in 2019.
He went 1-2 during his time in the UFC, with his sole victory against former champion Robbie Lawler.
He also lost a highly publicized boxing match against Jake Paul in April 2021.
