The whole fight community recently came together when news spread about former UFC fighter Ben Askren‘s severe health crisis. An untreated staph infection led to pneumonia, which resulted in ‘Funky’ getting a double lung transplant. However, things weren’t easy for his family as Askren struggled to meet the expenses of his treatment. This led to a huge uproar as Jake Paul came out to take aim at Dana White for not helping out one of his former fighters.
Ben Askren’s family, especially his wife, Amy, had been sharing updates about his health while urging people to donate money for his medical expenses. The real issue appeared when the former UFC fighter’s insurance company failed to cover the medical expenses, which posed a huge hurdle for his family, as he remained in critical condition. Meanwhile, Dana White made his effort to help Askren out as well.
Dana White shared the link for the donation website for Ben Askren’s medical needs on social media, but people were asking for him to do more. Well, it appears that the UFC CEO did more than that. The 55-year-old recently revealed that he reached out to the former welterweight fighter’s family, and preferred to keep that between him and Askren’s family instead of talking about it in public.
“I usually don’t talk about this stuff. But yes, I did [support Ben Askren financially],” Dana White stated at the UFC Nashville post-fight pressers. “We reached out to his wife as soon as we heard and told her, ‘If there’s anything you need.’ And yes, I did… I just don’t like talking about that s–t. That’s between us.”
December 5, 2020, Las Vegas, Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States: Las Vegas, NV – December 5: Dana White interacts with media after the UFC Vegas 16 event at UFC Apex on December 5, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Las Vegas, Nevada United States – ZUMAp175 20201205_zsa_p175_021 Copyright: xDiegoxRibasx
Well, now that Ben Askren’s health is in a safe spot following the double lung transplant procedure, he’s garnered a lot of love and respect for his grit and perseverance. Even Dana White shared some words of praise after Askren shared a video message on social media.
Dana White praises Ben Askren as ex-UFC fighter recovers
It’s no secret that Dana White and Ben Askren do not really see eye to eye, as they’ve had differences in opinion in the past. However, ‘Funky’s winning battle against his health problems has made the UFC CEO share words of praise. During a recent interview on the Full Send Podcast, the 55-year-old mentioned that he cannot even fathom being in the position Askren is at the moment, and was happy to see him come out better after a rough phase for the former fighter and his family.
“I saw that popping up on my feed. Yeah, he doesn’t even look the same, it’s f—— such a trip. You know the kind of shape you’ve got to be in to go through what that f—— guy just went through? It’s unbelievable,” said Dana White. “I reached out to his wife a few times during the… But you know, she I’m sure was an absolute f—— wreck but it’s good to see him wake up.”
Well, it seems Dana White’s recent revelation has dismissed the criticisms from the fight community about not helping his former fighter. But we’ll have to wait and see what Ben Askren has to say about the UFC CEO’s comments in the future. Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.
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