Former MMA star Ben Askren has been rushed to hospital and is in critical condition, according to his wife.
The 40-year-old is currently unresponsive after the illness "came on very suddenly," according to Amy Askren's Facebook post on Saturday.
"He's currently in the hospital and unable to respond to anything at this time," she wrote.
Initial reports over the weekend suggested Askren had been hospitalised, with some claiming he was suffering from a staph infection.
Former MMA star Ben Askren has been rushed to hospital and is in critical condition, according to his wife
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The news prompted an outpouring of support from the MMA community, including former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen, who posted on X: "Ben is alive and prayers are wanted. Family choosing privacy at this time."
Amy Askren asked for privacy for the couple's three children while requesting prayers from supporters.
"You may have heard that my husband Ben is going through something," she posted on Facebook. "He developed severe pneumonia which came on very suddenly."
She added: "We welcome all prayers for healing and for peace."
Ben Askren switched to boxing in 2021, when he lost to Jake Paul
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The mother of three emphasised the family's efforts to maintain normalcy during this difficult time.
"We are trying to keep life as normal as possible for our children currently and doing our best to support them thoughtfully so please refrain from discussing it with them for now," Amy wrote.
Her statement came as the MMA community rallied around the former champion with messages of support.
Askren built his reputation as one of MMA's most dominant grapplers following a stellar collegiate wrestling career that included two NCAA Division 1 championships.
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The Missouri native represented Team USA at the 2008 Olympics before making his professional MMA debut in 2009.
His suffocating wrestling skills propelled him through a decade-long undefeated streak that saw him capture world championships in both Bellator and ONE Championship.
During this period, Askren was widely considered among the world's elite fighters despite competing outside the UFC.
His relationship with UFC president Dana White remained contentious for years, preventing him from testing himself against the promotion's top welterweights until 2019.
Askren eventually joined the UFC in 2019 through a trade deal that sent former flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson to ONE Championship.
He defeated Robbie Lawler in his promotional debut but suffered consecutive losses to Jorge Masvidal and Demian Maia before retiring from MMA.
Ben Askren represented Team USA at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing
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Following major hip surgery, Askren returned to competition for a boxing match against Jake Paul in April 2021, losing by first-round technical knockout.
The former champion has since co-hosted "Funky and the Champ" podcast alongside Olympic team-mate Daniel Cormier.
He recently signed with Real American Freestyle, an amateur wrestling promotion led by WWE legend Hulk Hogan and former WCW executive Eric Bischoff.