UFC legend gives major update on Ben Askren’s condition amid wild rumors

UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier provided some major updates on Ben Askren's condition. 'Funky', as his fans call him, was rushed to the hospital last weekend after abruptly falling ill and was later unresponsive. It's been reported that the former UFC fighter has suffered a severe case of pneumonia.

Rumors have been circulating that Ben Askren has passed away. And 'DC', a close friend of Askren's, set the record straight in a video released online:

"Our good friend is having a hard time. So, that night that we did an episode [of their show, Funky and the Champ], Ben was complaining about some issues, he had some infections, he had a really tough time when he went to that convention in Vegas. He was stuck there for a while. I want to report to you guys that he's now back home in Wisconsin."

He continued:

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"He's with his family, his beautiful wife Amy and everyone is praying that Ben gets better and we can start moving forward with life for Ben. It's so sad and I don't know how, at times in life, things like this happen to someone that's so good. Because Ben Askren is a good guy."

Check out Daniel Cormier's comments below:

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Daniel Cormier has a message for fans amid Ben Askren's health condition

To close out his message to fans, Daniel Cormier implored the MMA world to send their words of encouragement and prayers to Ben Askren and his family. The former UFC two-division champ expressed his optimism that he'll see his Funky and the Champ co-host once again.

Cormier also believes even a like button or heart emoji can make a world of difference to a person going through tough times.

In the aforementioned video, he said:

"Pray for Amy [Askren], guys. Pray for the kids. Ben, we love you, buddy. And we're constantly thinking about him every single day. And I cannot wait for the next 'Funky and the Champ'. We're going to talk about that and so much more. We'll get so much of Ben, in the way that we all love Ben. And you guys know how much we love Ben."

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Duane is an expert MMA writer at Sportskeeda with over 10 years of experience working for the likes of Philippine Star, Esquire Philippines, Playboy Philippines, etc. A major in English, he has written over 2000 articles for Sportskeeda section, extensively covering UFC and boxing fights.

Duane is a practicing MMA fighter with a 11-7 record. He is also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt and trains Muay Thai. His connection with MMA dates back to 2005, when he turned into a fan after watching Fedor Emelianenko defeat Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic at Pride FC - Final Conflict 2005.

Emelianenko finds himself right at the top of Duane’s Mt. Rushmore of MMA fighters, alongside other big names like Demetrious Johnson, Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre, and Anderson Silva.

Duane’s love for the sport is reflected in his writings, where he believes in speculating but not insinuating. He uses his intensive knowledge and skills in MMA to provide unique insights to the readers, along with sourcing information only from reliable sources.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi