Ben Askren scheduled to wrestle Belal Muhammad in Milwaukee on 18 July

Former UFC fighter Ben Askren will compete in a wrestling match against former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad on Saturday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The BBC reported that the bout, organized by Real American Freestyle, falls on Askren's 42nd birthday. Askren contracted a staph infection that developed into pneumonia last year.

He underwent a double lung transplant on 28 June 2025 and said he died four times during the ordeal. One year ago he spent 37 days in a coma, lost nearly a third of his body weight to reach 63 kg, and could not walk, speak or eat. He remained hospitalized for about 50 days.

The BBC reported that Askren documented his recovery on social media and described the upcoming match as surreal. He recalled begging nurses last year to let him leave the hospital for his birthday, only to be refused because he could not stand or use the bathroom unaided. The card is headlined by Colby Covington and Arman Tsarukyan.

Askren had three UFC fights before retiring in 2019 and lost a boxing match to Jake Paul in 2021. He became the first wrestler signed by RAF in May 2025. Askren stated that the Muhammad bout will be a one-off.

He said the timing in his hometown on his birthday prompted him to return to the mat and that his view of life had changed after the past year.