Ben Askren has shown once again that he’s no less than a warrior, even while going through one of the toughest phases of his life. ‘Funky’ spent two months in the hospital undergoing double lung surgery, which thankfully turned out to be successful. But just as his recovery journey began, he faced another scare after an infection was found in his chest.
However, things seem to be taking a positive turn now. A few days ago, Askren went live on Instagram and shared some good news from his latest check-up, saying, “I had a really good appointment today! Almost everything went positive.” That update gave fans a big sense of relief. And the moment felt even more reassuring when his good friend and podcast partner, Daniel Cormier, visited him, leading to a light-hearted competition between the two.
The 41-year-old took to X and shared a video of himself enjoying a game of disc golf, also known as frisbee golf. He cheekily captioned the post, “Beating @dc_mma in disc golf is light work even in my current condition!!”, essentially implying that he gave ‘DC’ a pretty one-sided beating in their friendly match.
Beating @dc_mma in disc golf is light work even in my current condition!! pic.twitter.com/ao7iVg31R9
— Funky (@Benaskren) August 16, 2025
Well, the former two-division UFC champ has been one of the closest observers of Askren’s medical journey throughout. In fact, Cormier even sparked a bit of panic earlier when he mistakenly shared that Askren was back home with his family. Something he later corrected, clarifying that Ben was still at a hospital in Wisconsin. That aside, the bond between the two has only grown stronger over the years, thanks to their shared love for wrestling and, of course, their Funky and Champ Podcast.
So naturally, fans were hyped to see Daniel Cormier spend some time with his friend, who is still on the road to recovery. The two ended up enjoying a game of disc golf together, which quickly became the talk of MMA fans online. While many shared lighthearted reactions to Cormier’s positive gesture, some couldn’t help but tease him about possibly sneaking in a little bit of cheating. So, let’s take a look at what the fight fans had to say about this wholesome reunion.
Fans react to Daniel Cormier and Ben Askren’s friendly disc golf match
One fan jokingly wrote, “Why would you do that to that man? You know how competitive he is. He’s going to be stuck playing disc golf for a year now trying to get better.” The comment implied that Askren’s win might spark DC’s competitive drive to practice hard and come back for revenge next year. And knowing how much the former champ values winning, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he actually starts practicing in his free time.
Another fan chimed in, “Give em hell, funky” rooting for Askren to get the better of his podcast partner. This was followed by a wholesome remark, “That’s a good friend,” praising Cormier for bringing some joy to Askren’s life as he recovers from a major double lung surgery.
Of course, someone also noticed DC’s sneaky move in the video. The fan teased, “DC is such a cheater. How I know he’s a wrestler. Any advantage he’s taking it. Look how much closer he gets as he’s throwing it 20 ft of cheating.” And to be fair, the footage did show Cormier throwing the disc from a shorter range, while Askren made his shots from a steady distance.
There were also plenty of heartfelt messages calling Askren a “warrior” and sending him “huge respect” for staying strong through such a tough time while still keeping a smile on his face. And it didn’t take long before a fan demanded, “We need a funky and fresh episode!” Hopefully, once Askren feels a bit stronger, the podcast duo will get back to doing what they love.
With that being said, what are your thoughts on Ben Askren’s recovery journey and Daniel Cormier showing up to lift his spirits? Let us know in the comments below!
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