Ben Askren Provides Update From Hospital Bed After Lung Transplant

Former UFC star Ben Askren was deeply emotional as he addressed his serious health battle for the first time ... saying the experience was almost like watching his own funeral.

The 40-year-old shared a video from his hospital bed on Wednesday ... revealing he doesn't remember anything that happened in the entire month of June -- but after reading his wife's journal, he understands what he went through was nothing short of a movie.

Askren said he "only died four times" as he dealt with severe pneumonia ... a condition that ultimately required a double lung transplant.

He said at one point, his heart stopped for 20 seconds -- which he joked is "not ideal, I don't know if you guys know that."

The fighter said after losing about 50 pounds in a 45-day span, he weighed himself earlier this week ... and he saw 147 on the scale for the first time since he was 15 years old.

Askren also addressed how his peers came together to support him and his family during his battle ... saying, "The outpouring love from the wrestling community, it's just amazing. It felt so good."

"The thing that was most impactful for me was all the love I felt from everybody," he added.