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          Former MMA champ Askren improving, added to lung transplant list

          • Brett OkamotoJun 24, 2025, 05:07 PM ET
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              Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
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          Former MMA champion Ben Askren has been added to a lung transplant list and has shown small signs of improvement, according to his wife.

          Askren, 40, remains hospitalized and in need of a lung transplant in his home state of Wisconsin, but his other organs are "OK" according to his wife, Amy. The former MMA and amateur wrestling standout's condition has even improved to the point he requested coffee on Monday.

          "As of late last night, Ben is officially on the transplant list," Amy wrote on Facebook. "Please pray he can get stronger and stay stable without complications while he waits, and they find an amazing match for him and he accepts it smoothly."

          "Yesterday, he kept mouthing something for a while and we finally figured out he was saying, 'coffee!' (He can't have it yet lol). What a huge relief to see him asking for something so normal. I'm so thankful his mind is healthy and I can't wait to have him back."

          Askren has been hospitalized all month due to severe pneumonia. As of June 17, he was being supported by a ventilator.

          Askren fought his entire professional career out of Hartland, Wisconsin, and he runs a wrestling academy out of the area. He retired from MMA in 2019 and was also a two-time NCAA Division I champion in wrestling and a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. He and Amy have three children together.