Just days after returning home, Ben Askren is now back in hospital after a new infection was spotted by doctors.
Former UFC star and MMA icon Askren was hospitalised in a critical condition with pneumonia, and was left in hospital on a ventilator in Wisconsin.
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Askren’s recovery has stalled as he is now fighting a new infection
Askren then needed a double lung transplant and thanks to the help of wife Amy and the MMA community, he was able to find a donor and successfully had the surgery.
Slowly his condition improved as his battle continued, and he updated alongside his partner as they finally returned to their family home.
But his battle was far from over as he now receives regular check-ups with doctors.
And upon returning to be checked, doctors have discovered a new infection.
As a result, Askren has now updated MMA fans on social media revealing he has been readmitted to hospital to receive new treatment.
He explained: “Well, as you guys can probably tell, I’m not at home anymore, unfortunately.
“I had my first checkup this morning. They didn’t like the way the last chest tube looked – thought it was infected.
“Put me on some antibiotics, and then did a few X-rays, and hopefully we get this solved – fast.
“But, right, Stockdale Paradox: It wasn’t always going to be smooth. It wasn’t always going to be easy.
“It wasn’t going to always be all the way up. So, hopefully this is a small hiccup, and I’m back home getting stronger again.”
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Askren is a hugely popular and talented MMA iconCredit: Getty
Askren now faces yet another anxious wait, but will hopefully once again be on the mend soon.
Hopes will be that Askren can return fully to health, but his physical condition is far different now.
The MMA star’s body almost looks unrecognisable and he will now need to restore to normal weight.
Askren was a formidable champion in his prime winning titles with Bellator and ONE Championship.
He also had three fights with the UFC beating Robbie Lawler on his debut in 2019 before losing to Jorge Masvidal and Demian Maia later that year.
Askren’s most recent combat sports outing came in a boxing fight with Jake Paul in 2021, where he was brutally knocked out cold.
He is now retired and of course focus will now be on restoring his health.