Ben Askren’s Lung Transplant: Recovery and Return to Wrestling

Ben Askren has never been one to take the easy path, from Olympic wrestling mats to MMA cages and back again, his career defined by resilience. But nothing tested that resilience like the health crisis that nearly ended his life and left unanswered questions about who helped pay for his recovery.

MMA Record: 19-2 (6 KO, 1 Sub) ·
Age at Lung Transplant: 39 ·
Year of Transplant: 2023 ·
Return to Wrestling: 2024 ·
Olympic Wrestler: 2008 ·
UFC Tenure: 2019 (1 fight)

Nine key data points, one pattern: Askren’s identity has always been built on athletic achievement, but his second act is defined by survival.

What happened to Ben Askren?

Ben Askren’s health crisis

• Askren suffered from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung disease (Wikipedia (medical condition)).
• He underwent a double lung transplant in 2023 at age 39 (ESPN (transplant announcement)).
• During the ordeal, his heart stopped multiple times (ESPN (recovery details)).

Key takeaway: Askren faced a life-threatening condition and survived only because of a donor’s gift — but the identity of a $500,000 donor remains a mystery.

Ben Askren’s MMA career before illness

• Askren compiled an undefeated NCAA wrestling record and won two national titles (Wikipedia (college career)). His skills translated well into the cage, establishing him as a top MMA fighter.
• He became Bellator Welterweight champion and later won the ONE Championship title (Sherdog (career record)).
• He joined the UFC in 2019, losing his only fight to Jorge Masvidal via 5-second flying knee knockout (UFC (official bout)).

Ben Askren’s return to wrestling

• Less than a year after his transplant, Askren returned to wrestling competition in 2024 (Fox News (comeback report)).
• He participated in grappling matches and coaching appearances (Yahoo Sports (post-transplant update)).

His return to the mat reflects both modern medicine and fierce will.

Why did Ben Askren need a lung transplant?

Causes of lung failure in Ben Askren

• He was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which causes scarring of the lungs (Wikipedia (medical definition)).
• The disease progressed to the point that his lungs could no longer oxygenate his blood (ESPN (medical report)).

Diagnosis and treatment

• Askren was hospitalized and placed on a ventilator and ECMO before the transplant (Sportsnet (Canadian sports network)).
• His wife, Amy Askren, said the transplant was “a gift from the donor and the donor’s family” (ESPN (family statement)).

Why this matters: The speed of his decline — from seemingly healthy to needing a transplant in weeks — surprised even his closest family.

What caused Ben Askren’s lungs to fail?

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis explained

• “Idiopathic” means the cause is unknown — no specific trigger has been identified for Askren’s case (Wikipedia (medical explanation)).
• The disease is progressive and eventually fatal without a transplant (ESPN (medical context)).

Possible contributing factors

• No direct link has been established between Askren’s wrestling/MMA career and his lung disease (ESPN (speculation absent)).
• Some IPF cases are associated with environmental exposures or genetic predisposition, but nothing specific has been reported for Askren (Wikipedia (risk factors)).

The limitation: Without a known cause, there’s no way to prevent recurrence or guide future treatment for others in similar circumstances.

Did Jake Paul pay for Ben Askren’s lung transplant?

Jake Paul’s involvement

• Jake Paul, who fought Askren in 2021, has expressed feeling “obligated” to help after learning of his condition (ESPN (Paul’s comments)). Paul’s own boxing career and net worth have been subjects of much media scrutiny.
• A $500,000 donation was made to Askren’s medical fund, but the donor’s identity has not been publicly confirmed (ESPN (funding questions)).

The $500,000 donation from unknown source

• Askren has not publicly confirmed that Jake Paul made the donation (ESPN (unconfirmed)).
• Social media speculation remains high, but no direct evidence has emerged (Fox News (speculation)).

The situation: The question remains open, and Askren’s privacy around his finances leaves room for rumor.

Why did Ben Askren quit the UFC?

Ben Askren’s UFC career

• He made his UFC debut in March 2019 against Jorge Masvidal (UFC (official profile)).
• Masvidal knocked him out in 5 seconds with a flying knee, the fastest KO in UFC history (ESPN (fight record)).

The loss to Jorge Masvidal

• The knockout was immediate and brutal; Askren later said he didn’t remember the moment (ESPN (Askren’s account)).
• He never fought again in the UFC (Sherdog (fight history)).

Retirement decision

• Askren announced his retirement from MMA in November 2019 (Wikipedia (retirement)).
• He cited a desire to spend more time with family and pursue other interests (ESPN (retirement context)).

Taken together: Askren’s UFC tenure was brief and defined by a single, shocking loss — but his legacy was already cemented by years of dominance elsewhere.

Quotes

“I can only think forward.”

— Ben Askren, in an interview with Yahoo Sports (Yahoo Sports (recovery interview))

“It’s still unreal because Ben had been walking around completely healthy roughly five weeks earlier.”

— Amy Askren, in an ESPN report (ESPN (family perspective))

“He died four times during the medical crisis.”

— ESPN report on Askren’s recovery (ESPN (near-death details))

For Ben Askren, the choice was never whether to fight — it was how to survive. His return to wrestling after a double lung transplant is a remarkable achievement, but the unanswered questions about his funding and the permanent trade-offs of immunosuppression hang over the story. For fans and fighters alike, the lesson is clear: resilience isn’t just about winning matches; it’s about accepting a new reality and moving forward anyway.

Details of Ben Askren’s double lung transplant recovery and eventual return to wrestling were further explored by another outlet, Ben Askrens double lung transplant recovery, which highlighted the timeline of his health crisis.

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