When you think of Ben Askren, you picture a fighter who’s seen it all: NCAA titles, Olympic wrestling mats, Bellator and ONE Championship belts, and even the UFC spotlight. Yet, nothing compared to the battle he fought earlier this year. And according to ‘Funky’ himself, he wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for his wife, Amy.

The former Olympian shared his story in a video posted by the Real American Freestyle page on Instagram, and it’s not the kind of fight he ever expected to have.

He revealed that it all started as routine, “And then in May, I had wrestled Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I came home, I felt totally fine. Then a couple hours later, my back started hurting really bad and I’m like, damn. And then that night I was awake like every 45 minutes and I don’t want to get emotional, but if it wasn’t for my wife, I probably would have died.”

What makes Askren’s story even more surreal is the timing. Just weeks before his health collapsed, reports had emerged that he had signed on to join Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff’s Real American Freestyle promotion.

At first, it didn’t seem serious, but things quickly escalated. That night, he was restless, unable to sleep. His wife noticed something alarming. Askren further shared, “She videotapes me sleeping and I’m like, I look like s–. I’m breathing super hard and fast.”

As such, Amy urged him to get medical help, but he resisted. According to ‘Funky’, “So she wakes me up, she’s like, you got to go the hospital. I’m like, I’m not f— going to the hospital. You know, we argue for 30 minutes. My wife convinces me to go to the hospital. I remember getting from the Uber in the building and that’s it. I remember nothing.”

That stubborn back-and-forth may sound familiar to anyone who hates hospitals, but in this case, the argument may have been what saved his life. What happened next is the stuff of nightmares. Ben Askren confessed that he barely remembers entering the hospital. From there, things deteriorated fast.

He shared, “I got this thing called necrotizing pneumonia. The doctors still can’t figure out how the hell it happened, but they start eating my lungs. So I was in a coma and life support for like 40 days. And then they gave me a lung transplant. I lost like 50 some pounds.”

He even revealed that his heart stopped for over 20 seconds on multiple occasions, and at one point, a nurse even told his wife that he had died. Through it all, Amy stayed by his side and Ben Askren couldn’t help but get emotional when describing her role, “But I said when my wife came in the next morning, she had written what had happened day by day. You know my wife was amazing. She visited almost every day for 70 days, right? And it’s like, she’s got to take care of our kids too. And I get emotional still, like, there’s a decent chance I could have died.”

Her perspective is simpler but just as powerful. Amy reshared the video to her Instagram story, writing, “So thankful he’s still here.” For a family that nearly lost its center, those words carry more weight than any fight-night victory ever could. After all, nobody could have predicted that instead of preparing for the launch of the RAF, Askren would be fighting for his life in a hospital.

’Funky’ is out of the hospital bed and still in recovery, but his survival feels like a win bigger than any title he’s ever earned. And now, he’s back delivering his takes on the world of MMA as he recently took aim at Conor McGregor!

Ben Askren blasts Conor McGregor as he delivers a scathing response to ‘The Notorious’s training footage

From life-saving surgery to MMA hot takes, Ben Askren isn’t holding back. The former Olympian, now in recovery, has turned his attention to Conor McGregor‘s much-hyped return to training. And as expected, ‘Funky’ isn’t buying the Irishman’s comeback story.

McGregor, who hasn’t fought since breaking his ankle against Dustin Poirier in 2021, has been teasing fans with clips of him back in the gym. More importantly, he has claimed to have re-entered the testing pool, the clearest sign yet that he’s serious about competing again.

But the footage he shared recently from a gym in Italy didn’t exactly inspire confidence. ‘The Notorious’ could be seen sparring with what looked like much younger, far less experienced fighters, peppering them with heavy shots. While it may have been an attempt to show his sharpness, the reception was brutal.

Ben Askren immediately fired off on X with, “What does beating up fighters who aren’t good prove or do to make you better? These videos are so dumb.”

For Askren, the footage didn’t scream preparation, but rather someone trying to stay relevant online. And he’s not alone in that opinion. Even Daniel Cormier recently said he doubts McGregor’s comeback talk will ever materialize, suggesting the Irishman is more focused on headlines than getting back into action.

At the end of the day, Ben Askren’s story is about perspective. Surviving a double lung transplant and months in a coma has given him a sharper sense of what matters most, family, health, and the people who stand by you when things get darkest. Perhaps that’s why his criticism of Conor McGregor doesn’t just feel like another hot take. It’s coming from someone who’s stared death in the face and isn’t impressed by empty showmanship!