Ben Askren is on the list for a lung transplant after the ex-UFC fighter had to be placed on a ventilator after contracting severe pneumonia.
Askren, who is also a U.S. Olympic wrestler and the most decorated wrestler in the history of the University of Missouri, was taken to the hospital earlier this month in his home state of Wisconsin.
His wife, Amy, announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that he was “officially” put on the transplant list.
“Please pray he can get stronger and stay stable without complications while he waits, and that they find an amazing match for him and he accepts it smoothly,” she wrote. “Also please pray for whoever that Donor may be, and his family. It’s going to be a huge adjustment for Ben, but our family is so thankful that his other organs are ok and that there is a path forward.”
The 40-year-old father of three contracted pneumonia after a staph infection, and his wife first went public with the news back on June 7.
In the latest update, she stated that he had experienced “more periods of awareness” and that the family was hoping he would be able to look at his phone and respond to messages over the next week or two.
“Yesterday he kept mouthing something for a while and we finally figured out he was saying coffee! (He cant have it yet lol),” Amy wrote. “What a huge relief to see him asking for something so normal. I’m so thankful his mind is healthy and I can’t wait to have him back. We are also so thankful for the amazing community we have-from close friends, friends We haven’t talked to in 20+ years, to strangers who have reached out to share their similar stories or pray. Thank you.”
Askren competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics before moving to a career in mixed martial arts, competing for Bellator MMA and ONE Championship.
He was also part of a swap between ONE Championship and UFC in 2018 when he was sent to UFC in exchange for Demetrious Johnson.
Askren later retired with a 19-2 record after having surgery after his final UFC fight in October 2019 against Median Maia.