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Former UFC fighter Ben Askren announced he was released from a hospital Tuesday after a battle with severe pneumonia led to a double-lung transplant.
The 40-year-old Askren posted a video update from his vehicle, which his wife Amy was driving after he was released from the hospital.
On “day 59,” Askren explained how he lost 50 pounds while being hospitalized. Even worse, he described coming close to dying.
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UFC fighter Ben Askren waits for the start of a middleweight mixed martial arts bout between David Branch and Jared Cannonier at UFC 230, in New York, Nov. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
“I’m out, with my beautiful wife. Supportive. Man, that was a long journey, and it’s not over because I still can’t really walk,” Askren said in the video. “I [have to] keep reteaching myself to do that, among many other things. I guess I can make light of it because it was me, and I don’t really remember it. But Amy, how close was I to dying?”
After a pause, Askren’s wife responded, “Too close. A few times.”
“Ah, man,” Askren continued. “I don’t remember 35 days of this journey, but I think surgery was 24-25 days ago. It was hard, it was hard. And I said this already in one of my videos, but the support you guys gave me, whether it was sending a GoFundMe, whether it was helping my kids and wife get through it – I had friends from all over the country come to visit and hang out for a couple of days – it meant so much. It was so great to just have all this support and all the love, and hopefully I’m not in this situation again for a really, really, really long time. I plan on living a while.
EX-UFC STAR BEN ASKREN SAYS HE ‘ONLY DIED 4 TIMES’ AS HE BATTLED HARROWING ILLNESS
“So, thank you guys, again. All the positive support. All the comments online. Everything. It means so much. Love you guys.”
In a previous video, Askren said it was “like a movie” that he didn’t remember anything from May 28 to July 2.
I only died four times, where the ticker stopped for about 20 seconds,” he said.
Ben Askren stands in his corner before a welterweight bout against Demian Maia of Brazil during UFC Fight Night at Singapore Indoor Stadium Oct. 26, 2019, in Singapore. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
“But I got the double lung transplant. I made it out to the other side of it. Gaining quite a bit of strength. Learning to use everything again. I was on the scale yesterday, 147 pounds. I haven’t been 147 pounds since 15 years old. … So, that was a battle. I don’t remember most of it.”
Amy Askren said in early July her husband received a donor for the double lung transplant and was asking for prayers.
Askren recently signed with Real American Freestyle, the Hulk Hogan venture hoping to popularize professional freestyle wrestling.
The 40-year-old was an NCAA champion in the 170-pound division in 2006 and 2007 and competed for Team USA in the 2008 Olympics. He won gold medals at the 2005 Pan American Championships and the 2009 World Championships.
Ben Askren attends a news conference for Triller Fight Club’s inaugural 2021 boxing event at The Venetian Las Vegas March 26, 2021, in Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Askren fully transitioned to MMA fighting when he debuted in Bellator in 2010. He competed in ONE Championship before moving to the UFC.
Askren fought Robbie Lawler and won by submission at UFC 235 before falling to Jorge Masvidal. Then, in 2021, Askren fought Jake Paul in a boxing match, and he was knocked out in the first round.
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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