When The Wrestling Room’s Pat Mineo disclosed on Saturday that Ben Askren was hospitalized due to a severe staph infection and severe pneumonia, the combat community was worried. So when a tensed fan wrote, “Can you get us some confirmation on Ben Askren?” on X, former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen, who is also Askren’s close friend, posted an update: “Ben is alive and prayers are wanted. Family choosing privacy at this time.”

However, his update didn’t give any information about what ‘Funky’ was dealing with. As online speculations began, Askren’s wife, Amy, came forward to answer questions fans have been posting online. In a quick statement on X, she mentioned:

“You may have heard that my husband Ben is going through something. He developed severe pneumonia which came on very suddenly. He’s currently in the hospital and unable to respond to anything at this time.

“We welcome all prayers for healing and for peace. We are trying to keep life as normal as possible for our children currently and doing our best to support them thoughtfully so please refrain from discussing it with them for now.” The couple has been married since April 2010 and has three children: Daughters Alex and Andy, and son Ozi.

There was also an update from one of Askren’s ex-wrestling coaches, Thomas Ryan. “If you follow me I assume you do so for a reason. Bens wife Amy gave me information that I didn’t feel right sharing. I personally believe in the power of prayer. She does to. He needs our prayers so that’s all I shared. Hope you can understand why I didn’t give more details. Keep praying.”

Further, popular media personality, Ariel Helwani, wrote on X: “Wanted to send positive thoughts to Ben Askren, who is currently hospitalized battling serious health issues. Askren developed pneumonia very recently, according to his wife, in addition to other serious illnesses. He’s battling right now. Hang in there, @Benaskren . You got this.”

And the rest of the MMA and wrestling world added their voices to the outpouring of support for the Askren family.

The MMA community speaks out as Ben Askren’s hospitalization shocks them!

Ben Askren’s impact on the sport can’t be understated. He rose to prominence as the Bellator Season 2 champ and became the promotion’s welterweight titleholder in 2010. He defended that belt four times before leaving undefeated. After a dominant run in ONE Championship, Askren was traded to the UFC in a landmark deal that sent Demetrious Johnson to Asia. Though his UFC run included a highlight-reel loss to Jorge Masvidal, it also began with a win over Robbie Lawler and made him a household name in MMA.

His accomplishments in wrestling and MMA include:

• 2-time NCAA wrestling champion
• 2-time Hodge Trophy winner
• Member of Team USA at the 2008 Summer Olympics
• 19-2-1 career MMA record
• 6-1 by KO
• 6-1 by Submission
• 7-0 by decision
• ONE Welterweight champion with three successful defenses
• Bellator Welterweight champion with four successful defenses
• UFC Fight of the Night champion

‘Funky’ eventually retired but resurfaced for a one-off boxing match against Jake Paul in 2021. More recently, he stayed active in wrestling circles and joined Real American Freestyle, a new project led by Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff. At 40, Askren wasn’t done contributing, he had simply shifted from fighting to guiding. And that’s what made the news of his hospitalization sting even more. Hence, Henry Cejudo wrote on X, “Pray for Ben Askren.”

Journalist Dave Meltzer mentioned, “Best wishes to Ben Askren. In serious condition. One of the best college wrestlers of this generation.” And fighter Terrance McKinney shared, “Prayers for Ben askren.” The MMA community may know him for his takedowns, his trash talk, or his oddball charm, but now, they’re being asked to support him in a different way: Through prayer and respect.