Ben Askren receives double lung transplant: ‘Every new day he has is a gift’

According to his wife, Ben Askren has received his double lung transplant.

Askren has been hospitalized for several weeks with severe pneumonia. About a week ago, Askren’s wife Amy shared an update that Askren was “officially on the transplant list” for his lungs.

On Monday morning, Amy Askren provided another update on her Facebook page, telling the world that the former UFC, Bellator, and ONE fighter has had successful surgery.

“We are so thankful to share that Ben has received a double lung transplant,” Askren wrote. “We are forever thankful to the donor and his family. This is the beginning of a new lifestyle for Ben, but every new day he has is a gift. It still doesn’t feel real that he was walking around completely healthy just 5 weeks ago. So much can change so quickly. Please keep Ben in your prayers that his body welcomes the new lungs as if they were his own. I am constantly in awe of all the people carrying us through right now. I can’t wait to tell Ben all about It.

“I’m hopeful that in coming weeks Ben will be able to give the next update, but hopefully he will wait until the drugs wear off.”

Askren was hospitalized after he was diagnosed with a severe case of pneumonia that required him to be placed on a ventilator. Askren was also placed on an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO] machine for his lungs. The MMA community has sent Askren their prayers through each update provided, and it seems to be paying off in a big way.

Even Askren’s past opponent Jake Paul planned to help Askren out with the surgery in some way, as he said following his decision win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. this past Saturday in Anaheim.