Former UFC fighter Ben Askren wasn’t the most popular fighter among the fans during his stint in Dana White’s promotion. After all, he has the record for being on the receiving end of the fastest knockout in UFC history against Jorge Masvidal. However, the community has shown some real concern for ‘Funky’ after his wife reported that he was going through some serious health issues.
“Please keep praying for Ben,” Askren’s wife, Amy, wrote on social media recently. She revealed that the former UFC fighter was suffering from pneumonia, but there were no details as to what led to that illness. Meanwhile, former UFC fighter-turned-analyst and podcast host, Josh Thomson, appears to have some information regarding Ben Askren’s current health issue.
Josh Thomson reveals the reason behind Ben Askren’s pneumonia
While it’s been a long time since Ben Askren competed in a fight, as he announced back in 2019, he appears to do some training on a constant basis. ‘Funky’ even has a wrestling academy, so he keeps himself occupied. Josh Thomson claims a staph infection, which isn’t uncommon for wrestlers, grapplers, and MMA fighters, could have caused Askren’s pneumonia. Leaving that infection unchecked and untreated led him to suffer from his medical issue.
“From what I understand, he had a staph infection and then the staph infection led to pneumonia… It attacked, obviously, the immune system. And then they went in to get it treated, and when it basically turned into pneumonia,” Josh Thomson stated on the ‘Weighing In’ podcast. He further mentioned that the current state of Askren’s health isn’t looking good. There are reports that ‘Funky’ has become a bit unresponsive because of pneumonia.
Moreover, Josh Thomson claims Ben Askren’s health is now in a pretty serious state. “So, if I say something, he’s in critical condition. He’s in the hospital. His wife, I guess, apparently, put out a tweet. I haven’t seen it yet. She said, ‘Just asking for prayers for my husband,’ this and that,” the former UFC fighter further stated.
MMA: UFC 239-Masvidal vs Askren, Jul 6, 2019 Las Vegas, NV, USA Ben Askren blue gloves is assessed by medical personnel after being knocked out with a knee by Jorge Masvidal not pictured at T-Mobile Arena. Jorge Masvidal set a new record for the fastest knockout in UFC history with five seconds. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports, 06.07.2019 20:17:04, 13012607, T-Mobile Arena, Jorge Masvidal, UFC, Ben Askren, MMA PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xStephenxR.xSylvaniex 13012607
It’s never pleasant to hear such updates about former UFC fighters. Many of them have faced health issues after their fighting careers, with some even losing their lives because of it. Meanwhile, Ben Askren’s current state led Josh Thomson to issue a serious warning to the fans, especially the fighters. Let’s take a look at that front.
Look after your body, UFC veteran advises
Josh Thomson seemed really seriously concerned and worried about Ben Askren and his health condition. The fact that Askren left his staph infection untreated hasn’t sat well with the veteran. On that note, Thomson has advised his fans, followers, and those who are professional fighters not to neglect any suspicious ‘marks’ or ‘pimples’ on their body, not to end up the same as Askren.
“Ah, that’s rough, man. You’ve got to take care of [your body],” Josh Thomson added. “If you see any mark on your body, you see, like, any pimple on your body, if you’re training [or] whatever it is, you’ve got to take care of it. Get it treated right away.” Well, there have been many fighters who have fought while dealing with staph infections and turned out to be fine later. But perhaps Ben Askren’s situation is an eye-opener for them to take more precautions with such infections.
Besides the message on social media from Ben Askren’s wife, there has been no other update available on his health issue. We’ll have to wait for further updates in the coming days. But in the meantime, let us know what you have to say about Thomson’s explanation of Askren’s illness in the comments down below.
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