Note: This is a developing story
UPDATE: Amy Askren, wife of Ben Askren, has posted an update to Facebook, confirming Ben Askren is unresponsive in the hospital. Amy Askren says that Ben Askren suddenly developed pneumonia.
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Former Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight champion Ben Askren has reportedly been hospitalized and is in critical condition, battling a staph infection.
Tom Ryan, the head coach of the Ohio State wrestling team, sent out a tweet just before 7pm ET on June 7, asking the wrestling community to send prayers for Askren and his family.
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A couple of hours later, Chael Sonnen would tweet out that Askren is alive and for his family’s request of privacy to be respect. Pat Mineo of The Wrestling Room would follow up with the confirmation that Askren is battling a staph infection.
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Ben Askren Battling Severe Staph Infection, In Critical Condition
Prior to MMA, Askren was a key collegiate wrestler at the University of Missouri, becoming a three-time Big 12 champion and two-time NCAA Division-I champion. He also won gold at the 2005 Pan American Games in freestyle wrestling.
Askren was a key figure in Bellator’s early days, winning the season 2 welterweight tournament before defeating Lyman Good at Bellator 33 to become Bellator welterweight champion. He’d defend the title four times before departing Bellator for ONE Championship toward the end of 2013.
In his first year with ONE, Askren defeated Nobutatsu Suzuki to become ONE welterweight champion. He’d retain that title four times as well before retiring as champion at the end of 2017.
He’d come out of retirement in 2018 after his contract was traded by ONE to the UFC in exchange for Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. After controversially defeating Robbie Lawler at UFC 235, Askren was the victim of the fastest KO in UFC history when he was beat by Jorge Masvidal at UFC 239. He’d then be submitted by Demian Maia UFC Singapore before retiring from MMA for good in November 2019.
Askren then fought Jake Paul in boxing in April 2021, getting stopped in just one round.
