Dana White opens up about supporting ailing Ben Askren: "That's between us"

As Ben Askren recovers from a life-threatening health battle, many were left wondering whether Dana White and UFC offered the ailing fighter a helping hand in his time of need.

The promotion's CEO has since laid all those doubts to rest by addressing the matter at the recently concluded UFC Nashville.

During the event's post-fight press conference, he was asked by the media whether the promotion had financially aided Askren during the whole ordeal. While White seemed reluctant to publicly address the matter, he ultimately relented, saying:

"Yeah, I usually don't talk about that stuff, but yes, I did. Well, we reached out to his wife as soon as we heard and told her if there's anything you need [let us know], and yes, I did, I did [financially help out]. I just don't like talking about that sh*t. It's just that's between us, but yes."

Check out Dana White's comments on helping Ben Askren below (18:50):

The former Olympic wrestler went 19-2 in his MMA career, with a 1-2 run in the UFC. Askren also held welterweight titles in both Bellator and ONE Championship.

Earlier this June, the 40-year-old was hospitalized due to severe pneumonia and a staph infection further worsened his condition. This led to permanent lung damage, leaving the ex-MMA fighter in need of a double lung transplant.

The Askren household was dealt another blow when his medical insurance declined to cover the cost of the transplant, which was expected to reach upward of $2 million. His family subsequently launched a fundraiser to help pay for the procedure.

In late June, 'Funky' successfully underwent a double lung transplant, getting a second shot at life. In an update following the procedure, the former multi-promotional MMA champion said that he had flat-lined four times and lost nearly 50 pounds during the whole ordeal.

Check out Ben Askren's comments below: