Ben Askren Returning To Wrestling One Year After Double Lung Transplant
Ben Askren Wrestling One Year After Double Lung Transplant ... Vs. Belal Muhammad In July
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If you're impressed by Serena Williams' comeback at 44, check this! Ben Askren is returning to wrestling just over one year after nearly dying, and requiring a double lung transplant -- one of the most improbable returns in sports history.
41-year-old Akren, during a conversation with Ariel Helwani, revealed he was returning to the mats on July 18 at RAF 11 ... where he'll take on UFC star Belal Muhammad in a freestyle wrestling match.
"Well, I'm gonna wrestle," Ben said. "I was the first signing for Real American Freestyle back in May of 2025, prior to all my issues. I love wrestling, I love what they're doing. I've been back coaching for about three months now."
Ben Askren wrestling Belal on July 18 at #RAF11.#HelwaniShow pic.twitter.com/3yOKN3ySPO @jedigoodman
Askren says he lobbied for a show in Milwaukee, and it just so happened the date was July 18, his birthday, explaining, "something spoke to me. I said I need to wrestle on that [card]."
And, BA says he didn't want a tomato can. He wanted a tough opponent. That's exactly what he has now in Belal.
It's nothing short of a remarkable comeback for Askren, who came frightenly close to death last year during a month-long hospital stay.
Ben's health battle began with pneumonia, caused by a staph infection on his elbow ... and ultimately required the 2x NCAA champion to undergo a double lung transplant on June 30.
That surgery was less than a year ago, and it saved Ben's life. Now he's wrestling again. Never doubt Ben Askren.