Ben Askren’s final match comes one year after double lung transplant

Ben Askren will compete in his final wrestling match at RAF 11 in Milwaukee, approximately one year after undergoing a life-saving double lung transplant. The former UFC veteran and Olympic gold medalist, now a commentator and ambassador for RAF, will face Belal Muhammad in the co-main event, marking an extraordinary return to competition after a harrowing health battle.

Askren had battled a life-threatening case of pneumonia that left many believing he would never compete again. The transplant, performed exactly one year before this weekend's event, represented a second chance few expected him to receive. Yet Askren recovered gradually and returned to wrestling at his training academy, rebuilding his conditioning and skills.

Originally, Askren had merely encouraged RAF to bring an event to his Milwaukee hometown, leveraging the region's strong wrestling tradition to drive ticket sales. However, when informed that the promotion would hold RAF 11 on his birthday, something shifted. "When they told me it was going to be on my birthday, something just said, 'Ben, get out there and wrestle. It's a year after your transplant. It's your birthday; it's your hometown. Go do it,"' Askren explained to MMA Fighting.

He has made clear that this bout will mark the conclusion of his competitive wrestling career. "I don't want to do any more matches. This is it for me," Askren stated, adding that he never originally intended to compete. The narrative—returning to action one year post-transplant, in his hometown, on his birthday, for his final match—represents a remarkable conclusion to a storied combat sports career.