Ben Askren is currently recovering in a hospital located in Wisconsin after being admitted for a serious health issue.
The former UFC welterweight was hospitalized last week. He was suffering from a severe bout of pneumonia, which developed as a complication from a staph infection.
His wife, Amy, previously reported that Askren, who is 40 years old, was in critical condition and was `unresponsive` while in a Las Vegas hospital.
However, his close friend Daniel Cormier has now shared that Askren has been transferred to a different medical facility.
The former two-division UFC champion commented on his podcast co-host`s situation, saying: “Ben Askren, our good friend from ‘Funky and the Champ’, is going through a difficult time.
“He mentioned experiencing some health issues on the night we recorded the most recent episode of ‘Funky and the Champ’.
“He had several infections and struggled significantly after attending a convention in Vegas, where he was held up for some time.”
Cormier provided a further update: “I want to inform you that he is now at a hospital in Wisconsin. He is with his family, including his wonderful wife, Amy.”
“`Everyone is just praying that Ben recovers so we can all move forward with life,` he added.
“`It’s truly sad,` Cormier expressed. `I don’t understand how such things can happen to someone so good, because Ben Askren is a genuinely good person.`”
“`Pray for Amy, guys. Pray for the kids,` he urged. `Ben, we love you, buddy. We think about him constantly every single day.`”
He concluded, “I can`t wait for the next ‘Funky and the Champ’ episode, because we’ll discuss this much more then.”
Cormier`s update followed just hours after Amy Askren had to publicly refute widespread social media rumors claiming her husband had died.
Speaking to TMZ, she confirmed that her husband is “definitely still fighting”.
Askren retired from mixed martial arts in November 2019, concluding his UFC run with a record of 1 win and 2 losses.
However, he briefly came out of combat sports retirement in April 2021 for a profitable boxing match against Jake Paul, which he lost by first-round knockout.
Elton Marrow