Ben Askren Returns to Competition At RAF 11

Less than a year after undergoing a double lung transplant following a severe bout of pneumonia that left him in a coma for 45 days, Ben Askren has announced he will face former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad at RAF 11 on July 18 in Milwaukee.

The medical journey that preceded the announcement is extraordinary by any measure. Askren contracted pneumonia severe enough to put him in a coma for over six weeks. His weight dropped to approximately 145 pounds during hospitalisation — roughly 60 pounds below the walk-around weight he carried throughout his fighting career. A double lung transplant followed before he was eventually released.

Muhammad is a credible and decorated opponent for a return of this nature — a former UFC welterweight champion whose wrestling and grappling credentials make him a natural fit for the RAF format and a genuine test for anyone stepping back onto the mat after any length of time away, let alone the period Askren has endured.

The Milwaukee card on July 18 is shaping into one of the more significant RAF events the promotion has put together, with Covington versus Tsarukyan headlining and Askren versus Muhammad adding a storyline that extends well beyond the sport itself. Askren's return from a double lung transplant to competitive grappling in under a year is the kind of story that transcends combat sports entirely.