The Ben Askren fans once knew for his trash talk and funky wrestling style, is now fighting a very different battle. It’s no longer about opponents across the cage, but about steady steps, breathing exercises, and small victories that most would take for granted.

Since undergoing a double lung transplant, ‘Funky’ has been learning to measure progress in inches, not miles. And while the grind often feels endless, his wife Amy is making sure that love and encouragement never run dry.

On her recent Instagram story, she posted a simple but powerful message: “Love to see it @benaskren.” What was it about?  Her story featured a page from Ben’s journal, along with a caption where he revealed just how difficult this stage has been. “Having a tough time seeing progress so I decided to start documenting it,” the former UFC star admitted.

The page, dated August 25, lays out his mindset. Gratitude for “being alive, a great community, a loving family.” A plan to walk for 12 minutes, complete breathing exercises, and still handle business meetings. Reflections on progress: walking without a walker, gaining six pounds in a week, and finding the strength to manage responsibilities. The big vision? To get back to normal life, play disc golf, and practice wrestling drills again.

It’s the roadmap of a man trying to rebuild himself piece by piece. And Amy’s support is more than encouragement; it’s proof that his battle isn’t fought alone.

Earlier this year, a staph infection that turned into pneumonia pushed him into a coma. Doctors performed a double lung transplant, a surgery that costs more than $2 million. Insurance reportedly denied the claim, leaving the Askren family to turn to their community. Even UFC boss Dana White, who famously clashed with Ben Askren during his UFC run, confirmed he donated to the cause. In a sport built on rivalries, that moment of solidarity spoke volumes.

And yet, the wrestler hasn’t let the crushing costs or setbacks define him. Just days before Amy’s latest post, fans saw a flicker of hope in a lighthearted video. ‘Funky, thinner but smiling, was back on his feet playing disc golf with Daniel Cormier. Using a walker for balance, he managed to out-throw the former two-division UFC champ.

Cormier later laughed about it online, calling the loss “embarrassing,” but the moment wasn’t about competition. It was about proving that progress, however slow, is still progress. Now, as his journal shows, Ben Askren is looking ahead, and this ordeal has also made him re-evaluate his faith!

Ben Askren reveals why he decided to embrace religion after a brush with “the other side”

Ben Askren once thrived on logic, grit, and competition, but now, he confessed that the most life-changing moment of his journey came when he opened his eyes after his medically induced coma.

In an interview with FloWrestling earlier this month, Askren admitted that his brush with death completely reshaped his beliefs. “There was multiple times where they thought I was dead. Like I was dead, that’s the other side,” he revealed. “I woke up and I just decided I was a Christian. So, that’s crazy.” For a man who spent years relying on discipline and willpower, the decision came suddenly, almost instinctively.

What makes this revelation even more striking is that Askren wasn’t a stranger to church. For 15 years, he had gone alongside his wife Amy, but never with the same conviction. He further shared, “I went with my wife to church for 15 years because that was part of the deal. I said, ‘Well, I’m not Christian, but I’ll support you.’ And it was really weird when I woke up, I’m like ‘I gotta do it.’ You know? So, that was kind of weird,”

The surreal nature of that moment shows just how much his ordeal shook him. One day, he was battling pneumonia and fighting for his life. Next, he was emerging from a coma with a completely different outlook. Faith wasn’t something forced upon him, but something that arrived in the aftermath of survival.

Alongside this newfound spirituality, Askren hasn’t forgotten the people who carried him through his darkest days as he added, “[I have] so much gratitude for everyone who’s helped out. So many people have donated money, watched our kids, donated food, a lot of friends come and hangout with me – just so much gratitude for being around me.”

His journal reveals the discipline of a fighter, but also the vulnerability of a man learning patience. With Amy by his side, a community rallying around him, and a faith he never expected to find, Ben Askren is rewriting his own definition of victory.