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Former UFC combatant and Olympic wrestler Ben Askren will beryllium fighting for nan first clip successful astir 7 years aft undergoing a double-lung transplant.
Last year, Askren was connected a ventilator and ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), pinch his wife, Amy, going arsenic acold arsenic saying he needed a "miracle."
Well, nan occurrence occurred, and a comeback is now connected nan horizon.
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Ben Askren attends a news convention for Triller Fight Club's inaugural 2021 boxing arena astatine The Venetian Las Vegas connected March 26, 2021. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Askren will look erstwhile UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad in a wrestling lucifer astatine Real American Freestyle 11 connected July 18, his 42nd birthday, successful Milwaukee. RAF was co-founded by nan precocious Hulk Hogan.
Askren "developed terrible pneumonia which came connected very suddenly" past June, Amy said, and was yet put connected life support. Askren was placed connected nan transplant database connected June 24 and received a philanthropist organ days later.
Askren later said that he did not retrieve thing from May 28 to July 2 and "only died 4 times" while losing 50 pounds successful nan hospital. He was released from nan infirmary connected July 22 aft 59 days.
"It was hard, it was hard. And I said this already successful 1 of my videos, but nan support you guys gave me, whether it was sending a GoFundMe, whether it was helping my kids and woman get done it – I had friends from each complete nan state travel to sojourn and bent retired for a mates of days – it meant truthful much," Askren said erstwhile he was released. "It was truthful awesome to conscionable person each this support and each nan love, and hopefully I’m not successful this business again for a really, really, really agelong time. I scheme connected surviving a while."
Ben Askren stands successful his area earlier his welterweight bout against Demian Maia astatine UFC Fight Night successful Singapore connected Oct. 26, 2019. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
BOXER JAKE PAUL TOUTS FORMER OPPONENT BEN ASKREN'S PERSEVERANCE DURING EX-UFC STAR'S BOUT WITH SERIOUS ILLNESS
Askren said he past turned to Christianity.
"There was aggregate times wherever they thought I was dead. Like I was dead, that’s nan different side," Askren said successful a later interview. "I woke up and I conscionable decided I was a Christian. So, that’s crazy.
"I went pinch my woman to religion for 15 years because that was portion of nan deal. I said, ‘Well, I’m not Christian, but I’ll support you.’ And it was really weird erstwhile I woke up, I’m for illustration ‘I gotta do it.’ You know? So, that was benignant of weird."
Former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington will besides conflict successful nan event.
The 41-year-old was an NCAA champion successful nan 170-pound section successful 2006 and 2007 and went connected to compete for Team USA successful nan 2008 Olympics. He won golden medals successful nan 2005 Pan American Championships and nan 2009 World Championships. He made his afloat modulation to MMA erstwhile he debuted successful Bellator successful 2010. He past competed successful ONE Championship earlier joining nan UFC.
He defeated Robbie Lawler via submission astatine UFC 235 earlier losing to Jorge Masvidal successful a high-profile bout. Askren retired from mixed martial arts successful 2019 aft compiling a 19-2 record, pinch some losses coming successful his 3 UFC fights.
UFC combatant Ben Askren waits for nan commencement of a middleweight mixed martial arts bout betwixt David Branch and Jared Cannonier astatine UFC 230 successful New York connected Nov. 3, 2018. (Julio Cortez/AP)
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In 2021, he fought Jake Paul successful a boxing match.
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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