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Brett OkamotoJun 7, 2025, 10:15 PM ET
- Brett Okamoto has reported connected mixed martial arts and boxing astatine ESPN since 2010. He has covered each of the biggest events successful combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names specified arsenic Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was besides a shaper connected the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked backmost astatine the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives successful Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer successful his spare time.
Former MMA champion and UFC welterweight Ben Askren has been hospitalized with terrible pneumonia, his woman posted to societal media connected Saturday.
"You whitethorn person heard that my hubby Ben is going done something," Amy Askren wrote connected Facebook. "He developed terrible pneumonia which came connected precise suddenly. He's presently successful the infirmary and incapable to respond to thing astatine this time. We invited each prayers for healing and peace."
Amy went connected to petition the nationalist for privateness for their family. The mates person 3 children unneurotic successful Wisconsin.
Askren (19-2), who retired from MMA successful 2019, was a two-time NCAA Division I champion successful wrestling and a subordinate of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. He won welterweight titles successful Bellator MMA and One Championship, earlier making a high-profile modulation to the UFC astatine the aboriginal portion of his vocation successful 2019.
Askren went 1-2 successful the UFC, with a triumph implicit erstwhile champion Robbie Lawler.
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