Ben Askren's life turned upside down in 2025 ... he battled severe pneumonia that resulted in a 59-day hospital stay and a double lung transplant ... but thankfully, he tells TMZ Sports he's going into the New Year moving in a "positive direction."
The former MMA star said at times it feels like his health scare was a "bad dream." While there's not much he remembers from those days ... he says there are still lessons to take away from the whole ordeal ... citing a book called "Finish Empty" by Josh Metcalf, which gave him a good perspective.