Former Olympic wrestler Ben Askren was settling into retirement when his life took a devastating turn. What began as a staph infection spiraled into a severe case of pneumonia that ravaged his lungs. His condition worsened to the point where he was placed on a ventilator, hooked up to an ECMO machine, and sedated into a 45-day coma. During that harrowing stretch, Askren suffered cardiac arrest on four separate occasions.

By June, his wife, Amy, revealed his critical state, sparking an outpouring of support from the combat sports community. Both Jake Paul and Dana White stepped in to help cover the costs of a lung transplant, a procedure that ultimately saved Askren’s life. The battle, however, was far from over. The 41-year-old lost 50 pounds, emerging weak and frail. Though b

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