Weeks ago, the MMA world was shaken by troubling news about Ben Askren. His wife, Amy, revealed that the former welterweight star had slipped into a coma after battling a severe form of pneumonia caused by a staph infection. The illness ravaged his lungs, leaving him bedridden and in critical condition. As Chael Sonnen spoke with Amy Askren, she revealed ‘Funky’ might require a lung transplant. While details remained scarce, Amy Askren recently broke the silence with an update on his health, as former MMA fighter and Bellator commentator Jimmy Smith paid tribute with an emotional video.

Taking to his YouTube handle, the MMA broadcaster uploaded a dedicated video paying tribute to Askren for his remarkable combat sports career. While Askren might have failed to leave a lasting mark in the UFC, he certainly made an impact in the world of combat sports overall. With a career record of 19 victories and 2 defeats, Askren remained undefeated during his time in both Bellator and ONE Championship.

Smith captioned the YouTube video, mentioning that although he never had any direct interaction with the fighter, he closely followed his career, “I don’t know Ben personally, but I called his fights for Bellator and watched his career take shape in real time. His 2010 Bellator fight against Dan Hornbuckle was always one of my favorites (and also one that I had the pleasure of calling ringside).”

Being a former Bellator and ONE Championship titleholder, Ben Askren has a legacy already built for himself. However, his UFC run was marred by unfortunate circumstances. After a controversial win over Robbie Lawler, Askren was matched up against Jorge Masvidal, who knocked him out within seconds with a devastating flying knee. His last fight in the promotion came against grappling ace Demian Maia in October 2019. The fight, which featured abysmal striking from both fighters, saw Askren being choked out unconscious by his Brazilian grappling counterpart.

Well, after his UFC endeavor, he tried his hand at boxing against Jake Paul but was knocked out within two minutes of the first round. Following his loss in boxing, he announced his retirement from competing altogether.

While waiting for a lung transplant, Ben Askren has been bedridden and unresponsive for several days. The entire MMA community has come together to pray for their welterweight star as he fights for his life. Interestingly, the YouTube video featured some heartwarming messages for Askren. Let’s take a look.

Fans pray for Ben Askren as the fighter awaits a lung transplant

Askren has always been a healthy individual. Since his wrestling days, ‘Funky’ has consistently taken care of his body and knows when to pull back. However, it appears the fighter underestimated the impact of the staph infection by a narrow margin. A concerned fan highlights, “Man, it’s so sad and crazy. A healthy guy like Ben in this situation. Ben has always been a stand-up dude and entertaining to listen to. Great for kids wrestling just all around sh–ty. Praying for the Askren family.”

Another fan came forward to express that he was one of the very few who wanted to see Askren secure a victory on that fateful day at UFC 239 when he faced off against Jorge Masvidal.“I wanted Ben to beat Masvidal so bad. I was in a room full of people rooting for Jorge, and I was devastated. Hoping he pulls through this medical s–t.”

How is Askren now? Well, his wife took to her social media handle to give us some info about his condition as she wrote, “Ben is still on a ventilator and ECMO to support him while he heals. There are good days and bad, but on the good days, they have been able to wean his sedation enough for him to open his eyes and squeeze his hands. His body can’t handle coming off sedation too much yet. I’m still praying for a miracle with his current lungs, but they are currently starting the evaluation process for a lung transplant.”

With time slipping away and no options left, the only thing they can do is wait. His wife has offered every possible prayer for her husband. A concerned fan added, “Awful situation, man. Seems like he’s a super cool dude and never took himself to seriously. Hope he pulls through.”

With a career record of 19 victories and 2 defeats, Askren became the Bellator champion in 2010 and successfully defended his title four times before moving to ONE Championship, where he once again became the welterweight champion and defended his belt at least three times. Commenting on his reign, one fan wrote, “Ben is one of the most underrated MMA champions of all time. I sincerely hope he pulls through.” Last but not least, a fan prayed for his betterment as he fights for his life, “Prayers for Ben and all the sick and needy in this world.”

As the MMA community awaits any good news from Amy Askren, all they can do is wait and pray for their beloved welterweight to be back in good health again. However, it must be noted that the transplant process might take some considerable time, given the task of finding an appropriate and willing donor. We wish Ben Askren a speedy recovery at this trying time.