Ex-MMA world champion credits 'mentor' Ben Askren for life-changing impact amid 'Funky's' life-threatening health battle

A former Bellator MMA light heavyweight champion recently revealed that his foundation for competition was laid by accepting Ben Askren’s invitation to train. That decision launched his professional MMA career and shaped the rest of his life in ways he never anticipated.

Corey Anderson, who won the vacant Bellator light heavyweight title in March 2024 and competed in the UFC between July 2014 and February 2020, first met Askren during his collegiate wrestling years. Askren saw potential, brought him into his gym, and encouraged him to explore a future in MMA.

That moment led Anderson to The Ultimate Fighter, a long run in the UFC, and eventually a championship reign in Bellator. It also led him to meet his wife, whom he met on his first day at Askren’s gym.

Now, with Askren hospitalized following a double lung transplant, Anderson is feeling the weight of that connection more than ever. Speaking in an interview with MMA Fighting, Anderson said:

"My life wouldn’t be what it is if it wasn’t for Ben. That’s not just competing. That’s my life. I met my wife because of Ben Askren. I have two beautiful kids. I have a wife. I’ve got a fight career. It’s kind of like everything I have in an adult life, it came because of Ben Askren. Because this guy invited me to an MMA gym, and the day I walked into an MMA gym, my wife was working behind the desk that day." [H/t: MMA Fighting

He added:

“The two people I talk to [are] Ben Askren and Eddie Alvarez. The two people that’s been in the game the longest, that are the biggest mentors to me, that can guide me in the right direction because they’ve seen it all and they’ve done it all."

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Ben Askren is recovering after a double lung transplant following severe pneumonia

Former UFC welterweight contender Ben Askren is recovering after undergoing a double lung transplant. The 40-year-old was hospitalized in Wisconsin with pneumonia and placed on a ventilator on June 17.

Askren’s health declined rapidly despite appearing healthy just weeks earlier. Within a week, he was added to the transplant waiting list. His wife recently shared an update, thanking the donor and medical team. Amy Askren shared the update through a Facebook post, which read:

"We are so thankful to share that Ben has received a double lung transplant. We are forever thankful to the donor and his family. This is the beginning of a new lifestyle for Ben, but every new day he has is a gift. It still doesn’t feel real that he was walking around completely healthy just 5 weeks ago. So much can change so quickly."

Check out Amy Askren's Facebook post below: