Ben Askren’s Remarkable Comeback
After a year of recovery, former UFC star and Olympic wrestler Ben Askren is set to return to the competition next month. This marks a significant milestone in his journey, following a life-saving double lung transplant last June.
Askren required the transplant after a severe bout of pneumonia that left him hospitalized for two months. At the time, there were serious concerns about his health, especially when he shared videos online showing his drastic weight loss and physical decline.
However, since returning home to continue his recovery, Askren has made an incredible improvement. So much so that he will be competing for the Real American Freestyle (RAF) wrestling promotion on July 19 (AEST) against Belal Muhammad.
Askren confirmed the news during an interview with veteran combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani. He said, “Well, I’m gonna wrestle – what do you think about that?” Helwani was left in disbelief at the announcement.
“It’s on July 18th and it’s my birthday. Something spoke to me and said ‘I need to wrestle on that’ and I’m doing my very best every single day to train and get in shape and it’s feeling really good wrestling with the guys.”
“I’m not going super hard yet, but I’m doing some things,” he added.
Helwani described the comeback plan as “absurd” and questioned whether Askren ever thought he would return to active competition. “I still question it,” he laughed. “I couldn’t feed myself, I couldn’t stand up, I couldn’t do anything [after surgery] … but I told my doctor I wanted to go back to my life and doing what I love.”
A Career Highlighted by Excellence
Askren rose to prominence in the US during his collegiate wrestling days, where he was a two-time NCAA Division I champion and four-time finalist. After competing at the Olympics and making the quarter finals, he took his skills to mixed martial arts, finishing with a 19-2 (1 no contest) record. 
He also competed in one professional boxing bout in 2021, losing to Jake Paul.
Askren’s return to the wrestling mats against Muhammad – a current UFC fighter and former welterweight champion – will only be a one-off occurrence. “I’m not wrestling again. I’m gonna do it once, and I’m gonna enjoy it,” he said.
“Even my best-case scenario wasn’t as good as how it’s going.”
