Former UFC fighter Ben Askren is set to complete a remarkable recovery by competing in a wrestling match on Saturday - a year after he almost died.

Since his lung transplant, Ben Askren has been working as an ambassador, commentator and matchmaker for Real American Freestyle Former UFC fighter Ben Askren is set to complete a remarkable recovery by competing in a wrestling match on Saturday - a year after he almost died. The bout against ex-UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad has been organised by Real American Freestyle (RAF) and will take place on Askren's 42nd birthday. Askren said he "died four times" last year after contracting a staph infection, external which developed into pneumonia and meant he had to have a double lung transplant on 28 June 2025. This time last year Askren had been in a coma for 37 days, had lost nearly a third of his bodyweight and weighed 63kg. He could not walk, speak or eat and said he had to "start over". He documented his recovery on social media. Askren said the fight, which takes place in his home town of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is "surreal". "A year ago today I was begging the nurses to let me go home for my birthday because I had been stuck in a hospital room for 50 or so days," he said.