Fighter Wrestles 1 Year After Double Lung Transplant

One year ago, Ben Askren couldn't stand up on his own. This Saturday, he's wrestling a match.

The 42-year-old former UFC fighter will compete in Milwaukee on his birthday, marking an extraordinary comeback from the brink of death. Last July, Askren was fighting for his life in a hospital bed, trapped in a coma after a staph infection spiraled into pneumonia.

"I died four times," Askren said of his ordeal. The infection ravaged his body so severely that doctors had to perform a double lung transplant on June 28, 2025.

When Askren woke from his 37-day coma, he weighed just 63 kilograms, having lost nearly a third of his bodyweight. The accomplished wrestler and MMA fighter had to start from zero, relearning basic functions most people take for granted.

He couldn't walk. He couldn't speak. He couldn't even eat without help.

Askren shared his grueling recovery journey on social media, documenting each small victory as he rebuilt his strength. Exactly one year ago, he begged nurses to let him leave the hospital for his birthday, but they refused because he couldn't stand or use the bathroom alone.

Now he's preparing to face former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad in a wrestling match organized by Real American Freestyle, the organization Askren joined as a wrestler just weeks before his health crisis.

The fight happens in his hometown, making the moment even more meaningful. Askren calls it "surreal" but says this will be a one-off bout, not a full comeback.

Why This Inspires

What makes Askren's story so powerful isn't just the physical recovery. It's how facing death transformed his entire perspective on competition and life.

"My perception on mortality and life has been changed significantly," he explained. While other fighters stress about winning and losing, Askren has found something more valuable: gratitude.

"I get to go wrestle. That's it for me. I am so happy," he said.

His journey reminds us that the things we once took for granted, the activities we might have complained about, can become precious gifts when we nearly lose everything. Askren isn't stepping into that ring to prove anything to anyone else. He's there to celebrate being alive.

For someone who spent weeks unable to stand, the simple act of wrestling represents everything: strength regained, life reclaimed, and joy rediscovered.