Former UFC fighter Ben Askren is currently recovering in a Wisconsin hospital following his recent hospitalization.
The former UFC welterweight was admitted to the hospital last week due to a severe case of pneumonia, which was brought on by a staph infection.
According to his wife, Amy, Askren was previously in a critical condition and `unresponsive` while hospitalized in Las Vegas.
His close friend Daniel Cormier has since shared an update, revealing Askren has been transferred to a different hospital.
Cormier, a former two-division UFC champion and Askren`s podcast co-host on ‘Funky and the Champ’, commented on his condition:
“Ben Askren, our good friend from ‘Funky and the Champ’, is having a hard time.
“That night that we did the last episode of ‘Funky and the Champ’, Ben was complaining about some issues.
“He had some infections. He had a really tough time when he went to that convention in Vegas, he was stuck there for a while.
“I wanna report to you guys that he’s now back home in Wisconsin. He’s with his family, his beautiful wife, Amy.
“Everybody is just kind of praying that Ben gets better and we can start moving forward with life for Ben.
“It’s so sad. I don’t know how things like this happen to someone who is so good because Ben Askren is a good guy.
“Pray for Amy, guys. Pray for the kids. Ben, we love you, buddy. We are constantly thinking about him every single day.
“I cannot wait for the next ‘Funky and the Champ’ because we’ll talk about that so much more.”
Ben Askren says he will not be back again after knockout loss to Jake Paul
Cormier`s update followed Amy Askren having to dispel widespread social media rumors claiming her husband had died.
She confirmed to TMZ that her husband is “definitely still fighting.”
Askren retired from mixed martial arts in November 2019, concluding his UFC run with a 1-2 record.
He later briefly returned to combat sports in April 2021 for a high-profile boxing match against Jake Paul, suffering a first-round knockout loss.
Percy Harlow