Ex-MMA star Ben Askren battling 'severe pneumonia' in hospital, wife says

Amy Askren revealed that her husband was fighting off a sickness in a post on Facebook on Saturday.

"You may have heard that my husband Ben is going through something. He developed severe pneumonia which came on very suddenly," she wrote. "He's currently in the hospital and unable to respond to anything at this time. 

"We welcome all prayers for healing and for peace. We are trying to keep life as normal as possible for our children currently and doing our best to support them thoughtfully so please refrain from discussing it with them for now."

He made his full transition to MMA fighting when he debuted in Bellator in 2010. He then competed in ONE Championship before taking on UFC.

He defeated Robbie Lawler via submission at UFC 235 before he lost to Jorge Masvidal in a high-profile bout. In 2021, he fought Jake Paul in a boxing match.