Ex-MMA star Ben Askren battling 'severe pneumonia' in hospital, wife says

Ben Askren, a former mixed martial arts competitor who fought in the Olympics and UFC, was hospitalized recently with a severe illness, his wife said in a post on social media.

Amy Askren revealed that her husband was fighting off a sickness in a post on Facebook on Saturday.

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Ben Askren speaks during a news conference for Triller Fight Club's inaugural boxing event at The Venetian Las Vegas on March 26, 2021. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

"You may have heard that my husband Ben is going through something. He developed severe pneumonia which came on very suddenly," she wrote. "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."

Ben Askren recently signed with Real American Freestyle – the Hulk Hogan venture hoping to popularize professional freestyle wrestling.

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Olympian Ben Askren points to the crowd as he enters the mat during the Beat the Streets "Grapple at the Garden" on May 6, 2019, in New York. (Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com)

Askren, 40, was an NCAA champion in the 170-pound division in 2006 and 2007 and went on to compete for Team USA in the 2008 Olympics. He won gold medals in the 2005 Pan American Championships and the 2009 World Championships.

He made his full transition to MMA fighting when he debuted in Bellator in 2010. He then competed in ONE Championship before taking on UFC.

Ben Askren during UFC 235 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, March 2, 2019. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA Today Sports)

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He defeated Robbie Lawler via submission at UFC 235 before he lost to Jorge Masvidal in a high-profile bout. In 2021, he fought Jake Paul in a boxing match.

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