Ben Askren Returns to Wrestling Against Belal Muhammad at RAF 11 on July 18, Less Than a Year After Double Lung Transplant

Ben Askren will face former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad at RAF 11 on July 18, 2026. The bout marks Askren’s return to competition less than one year after he underwent a life-saving double lung transplant. Last year Askren suffered a serious health scare that required doctors to revive him several times.

Com reported that many observers were surprised he survived. Usman Nurmagomedov posted concern about the timing of the comeback. “This is not good, if someone happens to him on the mats, I hope RAF takes care of him, this is very risky.

This guy was almost dead, now he’s wrestling, this is crazy,” Nurmagomedov said. The post was shared by Home of Fight on June 6, 2026. Askren won back-to-back NCAA titles at Missouri and represented the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Those accomplishments preceded a successful MMA career that later shifted into commentary and analysis. The article was originally posted on Total Pro Sports by Pavan Sharma and last updated June 6, 2026 at 1:55 PM ET.