Corey Anderson praises longtime friend and coach Ben Askren, who continues to recovery from a serious bout of pneumonia that led to him undergoing a lung transplant.

The latest update from Amy Askren, the former UFC star’s wife, was a positive one last week as she confirmed he had been given a double lung transplant. The expensive surgery wasn’t covered by their insurance, but the family received support from the fight world through online donations.

Welcome to today's edition of Sportskeeda MMA News Roundup! A former Bellator champ paid an emotional tribute to Ben Askren.

Ben Askren shares his first statement after a lung transplant, revealing he died four times and lost 50 pounds during his health battle.

For the first time since his lengthy health battles, Askren was able to speak from a hospital bed to provide an update on his recovery. In a recent post to Instagram, Askren broke his silence for the first time since his health battle kicked off. “What’s up guys! Haven’t given an update in a while, figured you deserved one,” Askren began.

A former Bellator MMA light heavyweight champion recently revealed that his foundation for competition was laid by accepting Ben Askren’s invitation to train.