Ben Askren Makes Combat Sports Comeback July 18 in Milwaukee

Ben Askren (19-2, 1 NC MMA) was involved in a rare happening in the world of combat sports in the fall of 2018. While trades from one organization to another are and will continue to be commonplace in team sports, it's seen less often elsewhere.

On Oct. 24 of that year, Askren, nicknamed "Funky," was dealt away from ONE Championship to the UFC. In exchange, the UFC sent Demetrious Johnson to ONE Championship, where he became a champion in its flyweight division. In ONE, flyweights compete at a maximum of 135 lbs in championship fights.

While Demetrious Johnson scored a title in ONE, Ben Askren wasn't as lucky in his new promotion. He'd only compete three times in the UFC, winning in his promotional debut by way of first-round technical submission due to bulldog choke versus Robbie Lawler. 

Ben Askren's Harrowing Pneumonia Bout Almost Cost Him His Life

Last year, however, Askren's life nearly ended. In early June, his wife posted online that he was in the hospital battling pneumonia stemming from a staph infection. Askren has no memory of what happened to him between May 28, 2025 and July 2. 

Although he'd eventually undergo a double lung transplant, this was the one opponent he almost couldn't beat.

"I actually just read through my wife's journal," Askren said last year in a social media update. "It's like a movie. It's ridiculous. I only died four times where the ticker stopped for about 20 seconds. That's not ideal, but I got the double lung transplant and made it to the other side of it."

Ben Askren Outlines Similarities Between Own Pneumonia Battle and Kyle Busch's Passing

Late last month, news broke that NASCAR driver Kyle Busch would not feature in the May 24 Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, NC, a race eventually won by Daniel Suarez. Within hours of Busch withdrawing from the Cup Series event, he passed away at the age of 41.

Like Ben Askren, the late Kyle Busch also suffered from pnemonia before his death, with Busch's family mentioning that his pneumonia quickly graduated into a case of sepsis. News of Busch's death prompted Askren to recall what he experienced before diagnosis.

"I had zero breathing issues before the morning I was admitted to the hospital," he wrote on social media. "Only symptoms days before was back pain. I went to the hospital the day before I was admitted and all vitals tested normal, besides back pain I felt fine and even had a good workout."

Ben Askren Announces Comeback in Real American Freestyle

On July 18, Ben Askren will experience a night he thought would never materialize. That third Saturday in July, unscripted wrestling promotion Real American Freestyle touches down on the campus of The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for RAF 11.

The card, streamed live on the FOX Nation service, will be headlined by a match between Colby Covington and Arman Tsarukyan at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.  Ben Askren was the first competitor to be signed by RAF last year ahead of his medical hardships.

During the Monday edition of The Ariel Helwani Show, Askren appeared as a guest and announced he'd be making his return to competition.

"I love wrestling, I love what they're doing," he said of RAF. "I've been back coaching for three months or so right now on regular practices."

Ben Askren Squaring Off with Belal Muhammad on Birthday, July 18 

The July 18 card in Milwaukee has a doubly-special meaning for Ben Askren, who serves as an analyst on RAF telecasts: Not only will it be his comeback match, it's also his birthday. Moreover, it was at his suggestion that RAF hold a show in Milwaukee. 

During the appearance with Helwani, he mentioned that Belal Muhammad will be on the other side of the mat on July 18. They've got some history with each other heading into RAF 11. 

"We trained together for a little bit," he recalls. "It was interesting on which opponent I should pick because when I signed with RAF, I was competing at a pretty high level. Out at Askren Wrestling Academy, the gym that I'm coaching at, we have quite a few guys who won NCAA titles, who won world titles, so I got to wrestle with them on a regular basis."