It appears that former ONE Championship welterweight champion Ben Askren is currently fighting for his life against the ultimate opponent—sickness. At 7 PM ET on June 7, Tom Ryan, head coach of the Ohio State wrestling team and a close friend of Askren, took to X and posted, “Prayers for @Benaskren and his family.” The message sent shockwaves across the MMA world, leaving fans and fighters confused and concerned. What exactly happened to Askren? No official details were shared, and speculation ran wild.
Amid the chaos, former UFC star and analyst Chael Sonnen stepped in to clarify the situation, offering some insight to calm the growing storm. The UFC Ho’fer took to his X handle to ascertain that Ben Askren is safe as of now, but he will be requiring prayers: “Ben is alive and prayers are wanted. Family choosing privacy at this time,” wrote Sonnen on his X handle.
Former UFC fighter Ben Askren is reportedly battling a severe case of staph infection, which has further complicated his condition as he has also contracted pneumonia. Shedding light upon the issue, Askren’s wife, Amy, took to her Facebook handle to state, “You may have heard that my husband Ben is going through something. He developed severe pneumonia, which came on very suddenly.
Ben is alive and prayers are wanted. Family choosing privacy at this time. https://t.co/fFIeOUMJT7
— Chael Sonnen (@ChaelSonnen) June 8, 2025
She further added, “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.”
Askren’s family is keeping the matter as private as possible. However, as news of his condition spreads, the MMA community has come together in unison to pray for the former UFC fighter. Former dual-weight champion Henry Cejudo took to his X handle, writing, “Pray for Ben Askren.” Additionally, renowned MMA journalist Ariel Helwani posted, “Hang in there, @Benaskren. You got this.”
(More to follow…)
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