Former Mizzou wrestler Ben Askren battles pneumonia, may need lung transplant
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- Former Mizzou wrestler Ben Askren battles pneumonia, may need lung transplant
- Askren, 40, remains on ventilator as doctors begin transplant evaluation process
- Askren earned 153-8 Mizzou record and two NCAA titles before MMA career began
Ben Askren, the most decorated wrestler in Missouri Tigers history, is battling pneumonia and may require a lung transplant.
Amy Askren, his wife, revealed in a Tuesday Facebook post that her husband was currently on a ventilator and doctors had begun the evaluation process for a lung transplant.
She initially shared on June 7 that he was in the hospital after developing “severe pneumonia which came on very suddenly.”
“Thank you for every message and all of the support. Despite this awful situation, I’m feeling so blessed by the community we’re surrounded by,” her most recent post reads. “Give your loved ones a hug today and make sure you’re prepared (for) situations like this. Ben is the healthiest guy I know and I never could have expected this.
Askren, now a 40-year-old father of three, wrestled at Mizzou from 2004-07, finishing with a career record of 153-8. He was runner-up at the NCAA Championships as a freshman and sophomore. He went on to win the national title during his junior and senior years in Columbia.
Askren earned other accolades throughout his collegiate career, including becoming the first wrestler to win the Dan Hodge Trophy — an award honoring the best college wrestler in the country. He garnered that recognition twice.
He was inducted into the Mizzou Hall of Fame in 2011.
Askren was also the first Tigers wrestler in program history to qualify for an Olympic Games. One year after the Beijing Olympics in 2008, he made his professional debut as an MMA fighter.
