The MMA community is celebrating as Ben Askren achieved a massive milestone in his recovery journey, marking his first jog since undergoing a life-saving double lung transplant earlier this year. The former UFC competitor shared the encouraging update on social media, demonstrating his determination to reclaim his physical abilities after months of medical challenges.
“Wanted to set my record so bad [so found] a way to make it happen!!” Askren wrote, accompanying his post with a video showing him jogging up and down a hospital corridor. “[First] time jogging since before [the] sickness.”
The 41-year-old Iowa native’s road to recovery began after he was diagnosed with severe pneumonia, which quickly escalated into a life-threatening condition requiring emergency double lung surgery in June. The severity of his situation became apparent when Askren later revealed the harrowing details of his experience.
“I actually read through my wife’s journal because I don’t remember anything from May 28 to July 2,” Askren explained in a previous update. “No recollection, no idea what happened. We’ll kind of go through it all. I just read through my wife’s journal, and it was like a movie. I only died four times, where the ticker stopped for about 20 seconds.”
The wrestling legend’s medical crisis prompted an outpouring of support from across the combat sports world, with notable figures including UFC CEO Dana White contributing donations to help Askren’s family during this difficult period.
After spending 59 days bedridden in the hospital, Askren was discharged in late July, though he faced additional setbacks when doctors discovered a new infection that required brief readmission. Despite these challenges, his recent jogging milestone represents a major step forward in his rehabilitation process.
The MMA community responded with overwhelming positivity to Askren’s latest update. Former UFC champion Holly Holm expressed her excitement with “Let’s gooooo!,” while UFC commentator Jon Anik echoed the sentiment with “Let’s gooooooooooo, @benaskren.”
Ex-UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman added his encouragement, writing “Let’s go man ! That’s crazy !” and women’s flyweight Maycee Barber chimed in with “Let’s go!”
Additional support came from Karate Combat star Weber Almeida, who wrote “Very good champion,” and former UFC title challenger Gray Maynard encouraged him to “Keep up the good work Ben!”
Askren’s athletic accomplishments before his health crisis were considerable, as he established himself as one of the world’s premier wrestlers and mixed martial artists. He captured titles in both Bellator and ONE Championship before joining the UFC, where he competed three times between 2019 and 2020. His debut victory against Robbie Lawler in March 2019 was followed by setbacks against Jorge Masvidal and Demian Maia.
Following his retirement from MMA, Askren ventured into boxing with a 2021 bout against YouTuber-turned-professional boxer Jake Paul, marking his final appearance in competitive combat sports before focusing entirely on his health and recovery.
