Ben Askren is in every fight fan’s prayers after his wife, Amy, revealed he’s battling pneumonia, possibly stemming from a previous staph infection. The situation sparked concern across the community, with Chael Sonnen stating, “Ben is alive and prayers are wanted. Family choosing privacy at this time.” Amid growing worry, his close friend Rafael Lovato Jr. offered reassurance on Instagram, saying, “He is a warrior, and if anyone can fight this, he can!”

That belief comes from the character and admiration Ben has gathered by being around and contributing to the sport. He was a decorated wrestler for many years before stepping into MMA. Fighting at the highest level in Bellator, ONE Championship, and the UFC. But there’s one thing he liked the most in his career, something that earned him so much respect and also happened to be ‘Funky’s favorite thing.

Ben Askren’s wife reveals that coaching children is his favorite thing

Ben Askren has been in combat sports for over a decade. But he also continued to be a name in the MMA world by sharing his thoughts. He has been doing ‘Mental Mondays’ where he spreads his knowledge about the game by creating videos and articles. He also shows his expertise by appearing on different podcasts. But his wife Amy shared how the veteran liked training future prospects the most.

Amy shared a video on her Instagram story where Ben said, “My generation, if you haven’t got with it yet, get with it now. One of the most rewarding, one of the best things you can do in your life is to go and give back. I do a lot of things in my life, obviously, mental Monday being one. This podcast is another. I gotta say, for a fact, my favorite thing in life is to coach kids.

Ben Askren, after retiring from the post, opened Askren Wrestling Academy in Wisconsin. That’s not all, as ‘Funky’ also shared why he liked teaching children so much. It wasn’t just about guiding the next generation. For him, it was more about proving a point to those who doubted the kids, showing that they could become something and achieve whatever they set their minds to.

He added, “I’m not getting down to every nitty gritty. But my favorite thing in life is, so many kids are getting told that they can’t do stuff or they aren’t good enough. A lot of kids walk around with a whole bunch of self-doubt, and the greatest joy I get as a coach is that I’ve been telling a kid for a long time that he can be somebody or whatever.”

The Iowa native has no doubt changed a lot of lives through his guidance, helping young talents find their path in the sport. But right now, it’s his health that’s grabbing the MMA world’s attention. And in a show of respect, even some of his old beefs are being squashed. One of his former rivals has stepped up to send his well wishes, too.

Darren Till wishes Ben Askren well amid medical emergency

Dillon Danis has set aside any past animosity with Ben Askren, sending his well wishes on social media, years after the two were involved in some pretty heated back-and-forth. The same goes for Darren Till, who once had his issues with Askren when the veteran called out just about everyone, including Khabib, after making his move from ONE Championship to the UFC. Back then, Till even called him a “W—er” multiple times on social media.

Till wrote on X, “Heard Ben Askren is in some kind of condition that’s quite heavy. Hope he is ok and his family. As fighters we all have complete crazy beef and yes most of the time it’s real and blah blah. But at the end of the day we all have families and we all started doing this to be champions, fighters and to make money. So besides all the talking s— etc, I always hope every one of us is healthy and wealthy. Hope he pulls through. 

That’s definitely a lot coming from a former rival who’s now sending nothing but recovery wishes after a history full of animosity. With that being said, the entire MMA community is rallying behind Ben Askren, flooding him with encouraging messages and hoping he bounces back quickly.