Ben Askren weighed as little as 147lb after his gruesome battle with necrotizing pneumonia last year, but has now got back to his fighting shape.
At tonight’s RAF Wrestling event Askren will take on Belal Muhammad, who as recently as last year held the UFC welterweight title and is still ranked at number seven. The American has vowed to retire after getting one last run out in his home town of Milwaukee.
13 months ago, Askren underwent a double lung transplant and was reportedly dead four times during the process. Now, he is prepared to compete against an active UFC fighter in his return to action that marks his fulfilment of a deal to take part on the RAF mats.
WORRYING: Colby Covington expresses concern about Ben Askren’s wrestling comeback at RAF 11
Ben Askren goes from 147lb to 189lb ahead of RAF 11 return
After his surgery, Ben Askren posted a video to social media in which he sat in a wheelchair looking particularly frail and was unable to stand. He was believed to have weighed as low as 147lb, having fought Jake Paul in a boxing match at cruiserweight just four years prior.
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Askren used to compete at 170lb in the UFC and other organizations, and walked around in the 180s. So he looked much better when he weighed in this morning at 189.8lb, just over a pound shy of his career-high 191lb for the Paul bout.
Fans were delighted to see Askren not just weigh in but don the wrestling gear again, with one writing: “All my respect to Askren, that’s a fighter, that’s a warrior.”
2026-07-19 02:38:13
