Ben Askren is preparing to compete against Belal Muhammad at RAF in Milwaukee, and the road back has been anything but straightforward. In the recent vlog, the former UFC and Bellator welterweight champion opened up about the physical toll his double lung transplant took on his body.
The recovery was slower than most fans likely realize. While discussing a home chest workout, Askren was direct about just how far back the surgery set him physically.
“They sliced me right in half,” he said. “It probably took me nine months to do a push-up even. I mean, it took me a really long time. That’s the area where there’s the most weakness compared to what I was before.”
Chest strength, he noted, has been the last thing to return.
The medical management that comes with a lung transplant is ongoing and demanding. Throughout the vlog, Askren is seen making regular trips for blood work, a routine he has clearly had to build his life around. He noted that he has a preferred clinic specifically because of the efficiency.
“I have never been in this place more than 15 minutes,” he said. “It’s check in, get the blood test, out.”
That detail is not lost on those following the matchup closely. RAF does not operate under a state athletic commission, which means the standard medical and licensing oversight that governs most professional combat sports events in the United States will not apply.
Askren will step into competition immunocompromised, on medication to prevent organ rejection, against UFC star Belal Muhammad.
His wife Amy gave perhaps the most candid perspective on the situation.
“It’s complicated,” she said. “Praying that it’s everything that he’s hoping for and that it all goes smoothly and he stays healthy. It’s not like it’s any riskier than being around other people, but I don’t know. It’s hard to explain.”
“But I’m proud of him. Even on the days he doesn’t feel good, he gets up and he works really hard and he has something to train for, so it’s much better for him.”
Askren acknowledged that even now, with training ramping up, not every day is good.
“Some days are just not so great,” he said after a difficult workout. “That was a not so great day.”
