Awaiting Lung Transplant, Ben Askren’s Family Receives Prayers After Emotional UFC Atlanta Tribute

The situation with former UFC fighter Ben Askren seems to have gotten worse, as he’s dealing with a severe case of pneumonia. According to reports, ‘Funky’ is in dire need of a lung transplant due to having holes in his lungs, and his family is now in search of a donor. Amid this rising tension about Askren’s health in the MMA community, Dana White and Co. did their part to support their former fighter in these tough times.

Ben Askren and Dana White have a history of publicly beefing. ‘Funky’ had accused the UFC CEO of ‘blackballing’ him back in 2013, claiming, “If he didn’t like you, he’d try to get rid of you.” As we know, the head honcho didn’t back down either and responded pretty harshly, deeming Askren “the most boring fighter in MMA history.” There were a lot of shots fired from both sides publicly until they squashed their beef in 2019.

At UFC Atlanta, the UFC shared a video montage in remembrance of Ben Askren, as they informed the viewers about his ongoing medical issues. The tribute video package was over a minute long, highlighting some of the former UFC fighter’s best moments inside the Octagon. Moreover, the broadcast team also made fans aware of Askren’s wrestling achievements, celebrating his career as a combat sports athlete.

Although Ben Askren’s UFC career didn’t turn out to be a great one, his time in Bellator and ONE Championship did. And guess what? The UFC broadcast team didn’t fail to mention that either. As such, fans seemed happy about this recognition and even shared their prayers for Askren’s well-being.

UFC fans pleased with UFC’s tribute to Ben Askren

There were a lot of fans who were happy to see Dana White and Co. present the video montage for Ben Askren. As one fan commented, “Nice video package for Ben Askren on the [UFC Atlanta] broadcast,” another fan expressed confusion after coming across the tribute video. For a moment, the fan in question thought that maybe the worst had happened, as he wrote, “I almost thought UFC is announcing Ben Askren’s death holy s–t,” on X before realizing that it wasn’t what he thought it was.

The UFC hardly shares any video package for a fighter who not only failed to win a title but also failed to impress fans with their performances on more than one occasion inside the Octagon. Given that Ben Askren got that treatment from the Las Vegas-based promotion, a fan posted, “Lol this Ben Askren highlight reel what an honor.” But then again, Askren isn’t the only non-title-winning fighter to get a video montage. UFC legend Stephan Bonnar also received his video tribute in 2022 before he passed away due to complications with his heart.

With fans on social media writing, “Prayers up for Ben Askren,” “Prayers for ben askren,” and, “Hope Ben Askren pulls through,” they stood united and hope that things will work out favorably for the former UFC fighter and his family amid these hard times. Meanwhile, one fan appeared to find confirmation about the many sources that reported on Askren’s health complications after witnessing UFC’s tribute video. “Wish I knew what Ben Askren news was accurate and what wasn’t… just hoping he gets better and can get back to his wife and kids,” that fan wrote.

So far, reports claim that Ben Askren’s family is looking for a lung donor but still haven’t found one as he battles pneumonia. Let’s hope and pray that the former UFC fighter gets what he needs to get better and get back on his feet. In the meantime, let us know your thoughts on UFC’s tribute to ‘Funky’.