“We are so thankful to share that Ben has received a double lung transplant. We are forever thankful to the donor and his family,” Ben Askren’s wife, Amy, shared in a heartfelt Facebook post on Monday. She also revealed that a generous donation of $500,000 has been received to support the MMA veteran’s ongoing medical treatment. A true blessing for the family. But that’s not the only good news. Askren has also received incredible tributes from his hometown wrestling community.

The ex-Bellator and ONE Championship champion made a name for himself with remarkable accomplishments in the MMA scene. Before stepping into the octagon, Askren made a name for himself as a standout wrestler, clinching a state title at Arrowhead and achieving NCAA Division 1 champion status at the University of Missouri. Following his retirement, Ben established several academies throughout Wisconsin, dedicated to guiding young athletes in pursuing their wrestling aspirations. During his remarkable journey with a lung transplant, he received the honor of serving as the grand marshal for the Hartland Hometown Celebration parade.

Ben Askren’s close friend, Randy Ferrell, head wrestling coach at Arrowhead High School, highlighted the community’s gratitude during the parade. Speaking to TMJ 4, he said, “Ben has just done so much coming from the community. Obviously being a multi-time national champion to being a Hodge Trophy winner to being an Olympian to opening up his academy here,” praising Askren’s contributions to empower local wrestling talent. That’s not all, popular MMA social media page Home of Fights’ Hayden Iverson also shared a glimpse of the parade on his Instagram story, writing, “Prayers for Ben Askren, Wisconsin’s Finest.”

However, if you think that’s the last honor Ben Askren received, think again. FloWrestling also uploaded a special tribute video for the former NCAA champion. Ben had an incredible run working with them, hosting radio shows, making documentaries about wrestling, and breaking down techniques for fans. In their YouTube video, they not only celebrated his contributions but also included a clip of Askren explaining his signature scrambling system. Along with that, they made a heartfelt appeal for donations to support his ongoing medical battle.

They wrote on the YouTube description, “Ben Askren was extremely innovating on the wrestling mat. He developed a scrambling system which left him with multiple options no matter where the action went. This allowed him to set traps for his opponents to fall into.”

That’s an immense amount of support coming the ex-UFC champion’s way. The entire combat sports world, from boxing, wrestling, and MMA, has gathered to contribute to his betterment. But amidst that, controversial internet personality Andrew Tate also wanted to lend his support towards Askren and his family, which even got a nod from a UFC legend.

Chael Sonnen backs Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate’s support for Ben Askren

Ben Askren, not receiving insurance coverage for his medical expenses, has sparked a wave of reactions online. Many famous combat sports personalities were furious that the MMA vet wouldn’t get the support he needed during such a difficult time. Jake Shields also took to X to voice his frustration with the American insurance system, writing, “Why are Americans forced to pay for insurance when they just deny your claim when you actually need them?”

Andrew Tate caught wind of the whole situation and replied to that post, writing, “How much do they need?” He followed it up with an inquiry about how he could get in touch with Ben’s family or one of his friends. Andrew’s brother, Tristan, also posted on X, saying, “Who knows @Benaskren personally and has contact with his family?” To that, UFC legend Chael Sonnen chimed in with a short but classy response: “Message sent. Very cool, fellas.”

Sonnen has been keeping a close eye on Ben Askren’s condition and standing by his family since day one. So, he definitely might have passed the message along, just as the X post suggested. It has to feel incredibly good for Askren’s family, especially his wife, Amy, that he was able to go through with the lung transplant. Now, all that’s left is for the MMA world and fans everywhere to hope for one thing: seeing the veteran back to full health soon.