ASKREN’S AGONY

BEN ASKREN revealed he died “four times” as he fought back the tears in an emotional video statement after undergoing a double lung transplant.

The former UFC welterweight was hospitalised last month with a severe case of pneumonia, which reportedly stemmed from a staph infection.

Askren was placed in a medically induced coma before successfully having both of his lungs replaced.

The former Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight champion is thankfully on the road to recovery, which will be a long and arduous one.

And he took to Instagram from his hospital bed on Wednesday to issue an emotional update on his ordeal, which resulted in him losing over a THREE-AND-A-HALF stone.

He said:

“Whenever this is all the way over, I actually just read through my wife’s journal ‘cause I don’t remember anything from May 28 to July 2.

“(I have) no recollection, no idea (of) what happened. We’ll kind of go through it all, and I just read through my wife’s journal.

“It’s like a movie, it’s ridiculous. So I only died four times. The ticker stopped for about 20 seconds.

“That’s not ideal. I hope you guys know that, but I got the double lung transplant.”

Dad-of-three Askren is thankful to have survived the horror ordeal and to see another day.

“I made it out to the other side of it,” he said. “And I’m gaining quite a bit of strength and learning to use everything again.

“I was actually on a scale yesterday and I was weighing 147 pounds. I haven’t been 147 pounds since 15 years old.

“(It was) like 50 pounds in a 45-day period. So, man, that was a battle. I don’t remember most of it.”

The mixed martial arts and wrestling community rallied around the Askren family in their time of need, with UFC president Dana White making a public appeal for donations to the fund set up for his former fighter.

A £368,000 ($500,000) donation from an unknown donor helped Askren receive the life-saving operation.

He said of the support: “The thing that was most impactful to me was all the love I felt from everybody and it’s almost like I got to have my own funeral.

“I still remember it 30 years ago when Dave Phillips died and you listen to all these older people, you know, recollect.

“[About] how much they enjoy them, how much they love them. And you know, obviously, he never had to hear that.

“The outpouring of love from the wrestling community was just amazing. It felt so good.”

Once he’s fully recovered, Askren plans to return to his day job coaching the next generation of wrestlers in Wisconsin.

He said: “I’m more motivated than ever to keep giving and get back and do what I can and and help out the best I can help out.

“I love you guys, I appreciate you guys. It’s been tough not only on me, but my whole family and my close community.

The MMA community were overwhelmed to see Askren on his road to recovery, which will be a long one.

“So I appreciate everything. I hope you guys appreciate the update.

“And like I said, sometime down the road, maybe Amy and I can detail everything a little more.” — Sun