Former UFC star Ben Askren has been hospitalized with a serious health condition, according to close friend and fellow MMA veteran Chael Sonnen, who recently provided clarification on Askren’s current status.
Sonnen revealed that Askren was initially hospitalized in Las Vegas while attending a cryptocurrency event, where he had reportedly been feeling unwell for several days. According to Sonnen, UFC veteran Chris Cyborg was at the same event and noted that Askren appeared to be “100%” at the time.
After checking himself into an emergency room in Nevada, medical staff discovered Askren’s body was “full of staph,” a bacterial infection commonly found in wrestling environments. Sonnen, who has personal experience with staph infections from his own wrestling career, explained that “it never leaves your body. It stays with you.”
Sonnen also indicated that Askren’s condition includes pneumonia and sepsis, complications that have significantly worsened his health status. In what Sonnen described as an alarming development, Askren reportedly needs a lung transplant due to a hole in his lung, though the cause of this injury remains unclear.
Contrary to some reports suggesting Askren had returned home to recover, Sonnen clarified that while Askren has been transferred from Nevada, he remains hospitalized. “He is in the care of a facility in Wisconsin,” Sonnen stated, explaining that the family’s priority was to relocate Askren to his home state if his condition continued to deteriorate.
Sonnen mentioned he had spoken briefly with Askren’s wife Amy, who has requested privacy during this difficult time but welcomed “prayers and thoughts” from supporters. The family had initially kept Askren’s hospitalization private for “3 to 4 days” before the news became public.
As of now, Askren continues to receive medical care in Wisconsin with his family requesting continued support and prayers during his health crisis.
