Last year, when Conor McGregor’s fight against Michael Chandler fell apart because of the former’s toe injury, Ben Askren couldn’t help but criticize ‘The Notorious’. “This guy clearly is out partying, can’t show up for training camp,” ‘Funky’ opined, tired of waiting for McGregor’s return. The Irishman was more in the news because of controversies rather than his training camp or progress. And so, when the Chandler fight was canceled, whispers about McGregor never fighting again floated on the internet… They still haven’t stopped.

But such disagreements and feuds don’t last too long in MMA, at least not when a life is at stake. Askren, who had a double lung transplant surgery, is once again in the hospital from a post-surgery infection. But he isn’t losing hope. As he finds inspiration in the bland walls of his hospital room, faith has helped him. Last month, he shared: “I woke up and started as a Christian. So that’s crazy. My wife went to church for 15 years, and I said I’m not a Christian, but I’ll support you. And it was really weird when I woke up, I was like, I gotta do it.”

And that message has now received Conor McGregor‘s approval. The Irishman shared Askren’s quotes on his Instagram stories and captioned it: “Jesus is King.” While the Irish fighter may not have discussed his faith at large, there have been instances where he opened up about his beliefs over the past few years. For instance, last year, he shared his Irish Catholic background, stating, “I’m a very holy man.” He also showed fans his chain with a pendant of archangel Michael on it. It was a gift from his mother. However, it is not just McGregor who has shown his support for Askren.

Previously fierce rival Jorge Masvidal, who famously knocked out Askren in five seconds, also reached out via a video message. “I know we were rivals in the ring. I just want to say, God bless you. And when I get back in America, if I can come shake your hand, brother, and just say a prayer with you, it will be amazing, man,” Masvidal said last month. And earlier this week, Kamaru Usman also reached out to the former Olympic wrestler.

“@Benaskren happy you’re doing well my man. One day at a time you’ll be back,” Usman wrote on social media.

Since Askren’s initial hospitalization, a wave of support has poured in from friends, the MMA community, and fans around the world. But his fight hasn’t just been about health but also finances. Askren and his family have personally shouldered the costs of his double lung transplant and the ongoing post-operative care, including expensive medications and therapy, which have amounted to nearly $2 million.

This was after the insurance company refused to cover the cost. To help manage the overwhelming expenses, the former ONE Championship star even put his 2008 Olympic singlet up for auction. Hundreds of supporters gathered to support the beloved Olympian during a fundraiser held at an outdoor wrestling event at Kettle Moraine High School in Wisconsin last month.

Ben Askren shares “humbling” update as he continues to recover

Ben Askren continues his weekly health update series through videos. But sadly, the former Olympian and UFC star still remains in the hospital. He battled through a life-threatening ordeal and spent 59 straight days under medical care. Now, doctors have readmitted the 41-year-old due to a suspected infection. In his latest video from the hospital room last week, the former ONE Championship titleholder openly shares that the journey has been nothing short of “humbling.”

Ben Askren shared a candid update on his condition, saying, “I believe this is update No. 8, and I’m still in the effing hospital. I came on Monday for a checkup. They said something was infected, and now it’s kind of just been thing after thing after thing.” Despite the ongoing complications, Askren remains mentally strong. “I’m going to be out of here sometime. I just don’t know when it is, so I just had to tell myself that, tell myself to be patient and not get too frustrated,” he added.

Though the setbacks continue, Ben Askren has remained calm and grounded in his perspective. He used the opportunity to share a powerful message with fans, calling his medical crisis a humbling and valuable life lesson. “I took care of myself, didn’t ask for help, but man, when you can’t, I couldn’t run away when I couldn’t walk and talk. I asked for help. And even now, especially when I’m at home, I’ve got to keep asking for help because I can’t do much myself at all. That was kind of humbling, and it was good,” Askren reflected.