Jun 27, 2026 · 1h 6m
UFC champion Ben Askren survives near-death infection and double lung transplant
How UFC Star Ben Askren Cheated Death - #1116
This episode reveals how the mental discipline of elite athletics can become a literal tool for survival during a sudden, catastrophic medical crisis.
- 1A routine staph infection escalated rapidly, requiring a life-saving double lung transplant and weeks in a medical coma.
- 2Athletic resilience and a lifetime of wrestling training proved vital in surviving extreme weight loss and a grueling physical recovery.
- 3The near-death experience shifted Askren's focus toward family, youth coaching, and advocating for character-building sports.
Don't miss
Ben Askren describes the surreal shock of waking up from a 37-day coma to discover he had undergone a double lung transplant despite a lifetime of elite health.
The brief
Former Olympic wrestler and UFC champion Ben Askren went from peak physical fitness to a 37-day coma after a routine back spasm turned out to be a life-threatening staph infection that destroyed his lungs.
Waking up to discover he had undergone a double lung transplant, Askren had to rebuild his body from a frail 138 pounds, relying on the extreme mental toughness and discipline forged during his championship wrestling career.
Askren argues that talent is a myth, attributing his athletic success and medical survival entirely to hard work, a white-belt growth mindset, and the rigorous character-building nature of wrestling.
Now navigating life on immunosuppressants, Askren has shifted his focus toward family, coaching youth sports, and aiming to break the long-term survival record for post-transplant patients.
What was said on this episode
19 statements · 7 positive · 9 negative · 3 neutral
The staph infection caused necrotizing pneumonia that destroyed his lungs from within.
“the staff got into my blood and it turned into a network called necrotyping pneumonia, in which my body was essentially eating my lungs from the inside out”
Listen at 6:02
A lung transplant was necessary for him to survive.
“the only way I was going to stay alive was to have a lung transplant”
Listen at 6:34
His severe lung illness was probably extremely rare.
“what happened was, I think, probably something that's extreme, extremely rare”
Listen at 11:48
Inactivity prevents recovery after a lung transplant.
“if you just sit on the couch, you're not going to get better”
Listen at 22:46
Long-term prednisone use can contribute to muscle loss.
“I do believe prednisone, which I'm still on, and so I'll be on for the rest of my life, probably. Unfortunately, I believe that has some, some capacity of where it eats your muscles a little bit”
Listen at 24:59
The immune system attacks transplanted organs as foreign bodies.
“your body will see the transplanted organ as a foreign body and it will attack it”
Listen at 25:23
Transplant recipients generally require long-term immune suppression.
“they need to essentially tamp down your immune system kind of permanently”
Listen at 25:29
Immunosuppressant levels can decrease as transplant patients recover over time.
“as you get further out and you get healthier, they, they do come down quite a bit”
Listen at 26:13
The median life expectancy after a double lung transplant is 6.5 years.
“the median life expectancy is only six and a half years”
Listen at 30:42
MMA is an extremely poor career choice as a profession.
“That is about the worst job you could. I mean, I tell, I tell everyone that MMA is, is an awful job”
Listen at 40:20
A successful MMA fighter may earn about $80,000 during seven years through the UFC.
“In seven years you're going to make like $80,000”
Listen at 41:14
Ben Askren does not believe talent exists.
“I do not think it exists”
Listen at 42:20
High-level training is necessary to perform complex tasks exceptionally well.
“I don't think you can do a complex task really, really well without a high level of training”
Listen at 42:36
Believing one is already good enough causes skill decline.
“when you think you know it all or you're good enough, then you're going to start declining”
Listen at 52:50
Askren plans to become the longest-living double lung transplant recipient.
“My plan is to be the longest living double lung transplant person ever. That is my goal.”
Listen at 1:02:05
New transplant-related technology will likely emerge within 15–20 years.
“if I make it like 15, 20 more years, there's gonna be some new technology”
Listen at 1:02:26
Researchers are beginning to build organs from patients' own stem cells.
“They're already starting to build organs with your own stem cells, I believe, is what they're doing”
Listen at 1:02:30
Immunosuppressants substantially reduce post-transplant life expectancy.
“the immunosuppressants are, they're a decent portion of the reason why life expectancy is not that high”
Listen at 1:02:49
A film about Askren's transplant experience is expected to release in fall 2026.
“I actually, I have a movie coming out this fall also about this”
Listen at 1:04:28
Statements are attributed to the speaker as said on the episode and reflect their view at the time, not PodLume's. They are not advice.
Books & mentions
Modern Wisdom
Explore more deep-dive interviews on human performance, resilience, and mental toughness.