1 year ago
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Brett OkamotoJun 30, 2025, 11:25 AM ET
- Brett Okamoto has reported connected mixed martial arts and boxing astatine ESPN since 2010. He has covered each of the biggest events successful combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names specified arsenic Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was besides a shaper connected the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked backmost astatine the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives successful Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer successful his spare time.
Former MMA and wrestling champion Ben Askren has received a treble lung transplant, his woman shared connected societal media.
Askren, 40, has been hospitalized each period successful his location authorities of Wisconsin, owed to terrible pneumonia. His wife, Amy, has shared updates passim his recovery, and expressed gratitude connected Monday for the latest.
"We are truthful thankful to stock that Ben has received a treble lung transplant," Amy wrote connected Facebook. "We are everlastingly thankful to the donor and his family. This is the opening of a caller manner for Ben, but each caller time helium has is simply a gift. It inactive doesn't consciousness existent that helium was walking astir wholly steadfast conscionable 5 weeks ago. So overmuch tin alteration truthful quickly. Please support Ben successful your prayers that his assemblage welcomes the caller lungs arsenic if they were his own. I americium perpetually successful awe of each the radical carrying america done close now. I can't hold to archer Ben each astir it. I'm hopeful that successful the coming weeks, Ben volition beryllium capable to springiness the adjacent update."
According to Amy's posts, Askren was placed connected the donor database connected June 24. As of June 17, helium had been connected ventilator support.
Askren fought his full nonrecreational warring vocation retired of Hartland, Wisconsin, and helium runs a wrestling academy retired of the area. He retired from MMA successful 2019 and was besides a two-time NCAA Division I champion successful wrestling and a subordinate of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. He held MMA titles successful aggregate organizations, and appeared successful the UFC astatine the extremity of his career. He and Amy person 3 children together.
