

“I am making some progress,” Ben Askren said a day ago from the hospital. He even got up from his wheelchair and moved around using his walker… It was an encouraging update after he was hospitalized once again due to infection post-surgery. While the wrestler continues his health battles, his wife, Amy, has been his pillar of strength. She has been juggling time between the hospital, home, children, and her career.
The support of her team and clients during the tough time has helped her keep things going. Amy, who works with Brian Widenski at Mahler Sotheby’s International Realty, recently closed on a beautifully remodeled home in Delafield, Wisconsin. The three-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom home sold for $715,000. And so, in her Instagram story, Amy thanked the company and congratulated Widenski for handling the work.
She wrote, “I still have a job! They have been incredible in supporting us this summer and keeping things smooth and breezy in active transactions. Right now I have an incredible partner assisting my clients while out family is focusing on Ben’s healing. If you’re looking to buy or sell in SE Wisconsin, reach out to me or @lakecountry.brian.”
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Well, fans of ‘Funky’ would be glad to see the update, as it’s a sign that while chaos may have gripped their personal lives, some aspects stand strong. Based on a usual 5% commission, the total compensation Amy would receive could be around $35,750. However, the figure is merely a speculation as the realtor did not reveal the amount. It is not known whether Amy and Widenski will be splitting the amount.
But in a summer full of emotional highs and lows, this quiet professional win was significant for the Askrens.
Meanwhile, Ben Askren’s position remains hopeful as well. He was in the hospital for 59 days and had a tough double lung transplant—the cost of which was crowdfunded. While he is back in the hospital because of an infection, the Wisconsin community is further helping the Askrens. Last week, a crowd gathered at Kettle Moraine High School in Wisconsin to attend an outdoor wrestling event. The event was organized by Askren’s friends and the community at large to help the family pay for the medical bills.

USA Today via Reuters
MMA: UFC 235-Lawler vs Askren, Mar 2, 2019 Las Vegas, NV, USA Ben Askren blue gloves defeats Robbie Lawler red gloves during UFC 235 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports, 02.03.2019 20:17:14, 12274849, T-Mobile Arena, Robbie Lawler, Ben Askren, MMA, TopPic PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xStephenxR.xSylvaniex 12274849
To help make it a success, Ben Askren put up his Olympic singlet for auction. However, the highest bidder plans to soon return it to Askren. So, while the family is receiving a lot of love and support, why is Dana White getting criticized?
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What’s your perspective on:
Should the UFC do more to support fighters like Ben Askren facing life-threatening health issues?
Have an interesting take?
Oscar De La Hoya goes off on Dana White for failing to help Amy and Ben Askren
As Amy Askren discreetly handled her real estate business while caring for her healing husband, many fans turned their focus to the UFC. Questions quickly surfaced regarding how someone like Ben Askren, once a big name in the promotion, could be struggling with medical bills. To make matters worse for Dana White, the criticism found a loud voice in his longtime rival, Oscar De La Hoya.
De La Hoya did not hold back. Earlier this week, he told WorldBoxingNews: “The latest heartbreaking example is former UFC fighter Ben Askren, who needed a double lung transplant and couldn’t afford it, so he publicly had to ask for help… They don’t give a f— about boxing, or fighters, or putting their lives on the line. They care about their bottom line and their stock price.”
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This isn’t surprising as De La Hoya has long criticized White and accused him of not paying fighters fairly. However, what De La Hoya said about the Askren-White situation might not be entirely true. If we go back to UFC Nashville, Dana White had mentioned that he helped the Askrens. “I usually don’t talk about this but yes I did. We reached out to his wife as soon as we heard and told her if there’s anything we need and yes I did. I just don’t like talking about that… It’s just that’s between us,” he revealed last month.
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Still, with De La Hoya keeping the spotlight on and fans paying close attention, the issue over how the UFC treats its former fighters is unlikely to go away anytime soon. What do you think?
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Should the UFC do more to support fighters like Ben Askren facing life-threatening health issues?