Colby Covington voices concern over Ben Askren RAF 11 return

Colby Covington believes Ben Askren is rushing back to competition too quickly at RAF 11 this weekend, less than 12 months after multiple brushes with death.

Askren faces Belal Muhammad on the card where Covington headlines against Arman Tsarukyan. The 41-year-old nearly died last year during a battle with severe pneumonia and a staph infection that forced him to undergo a double lung transplant, MMA Mania reports.

Covington questions timing of Askren comeback

Speaking to MMA Fighting this week, Covington said he worries about what could happen if Askren takes a hard fall during the wrestling match. "He died five times less than a year ago," Covington said. "If he gets dropped the wrong way on one of those double lung transplants, you never know what's gonna happen."

Covington acknowledged Askren's importance to his family but questioned the wisdom of the return. "He's a family man. He's a father. He's a brother. He's a son," he said, per MMA Fighting. "I think that it's not a smart thing to push him back on that mat."

Despite his concerns, Covington said his priority is Askren's safety during the event before he takes on Tsarukyan in the main event. Askren has framed his comeback as inspirational after making what he called a complete recovery from the health crisis that nearly killed him multiple times during treatment.

RAF 11 takes place this weekend with Askren cleared to compete despite the short window since his transplant surgery.

Photo: MMAnytt / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Original reporting:

• mmamania.com — Colby Covington Scared For Ben Askren’s Health Ahead Of RAF 11 Debut | MMA Mania