Boxingtalk sends its best wishes to former boxer and MMA fighter Ben Askren, who is waiting for a lung transplant according to a Facebook post from Ben's wife Amy. According to the New York Post, Askren was placed on a ventilator after contracting severe pneumonia. He is just 40 years old. Askren was a 2008 Olympian in wrestling and a former Bellator 170-pound champion. He was 19-2 in MMA but is known to boxing fans as a man who came out of retirement to fight Jake Paul in 2021. Paul knocked out Askren in the first round, ending his career. As an MMA fighter, Askren got off to a 19-0 start with one no contest before a July 2019 disastrous five-second loss to Jorge Masvidal. Askren fought once more in 2019, losing by submission to Demian Maia and then announcing his retirement. Askren had hip surgery in 2020 ad then cashed out vs. Paul the following year. 

Here is what Amy Askren wrote: "As of late last night, Ben is officially on the transplant list. Please pray he can get stronger and stay stable without complications while he waits, and that they find an amazing match for him and he accepts it smoothly... It’s going to be a huge adjustment for Ben, but our family is so thankful that his other organs are ok and that there is a path forward. While he is having more periods of awareness, he’s not able to look at his phone yet and respond to messages. I am hoping he can get there in the next week or two! Also hoping we will get to a place soon where he can talk while [he is] on a trach. Yesterday he kept mouthing something for a while and we finally figured out he was saying coffee! (He cant 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. We are also so thankful for the amazing community we have-from close friends, friends We haven’t talked to in 20+ years, to strangers who have reached out to share their similar stories or pray. Thank youthe New York Post.