“I’ve got an individual that’s (got) shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out, and is producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood.” That was a message to 911 from inside the General Motors Technical Center in Concord, North Carolina, on Wednesday afternoon. The man coughing up blood was NASCAR driver Kyle Busch. And in a turn of events no one saw coming, he was gone less than 24 hours later.

For the racing world, this was difficult information to process. Busch’s family had just a few hours back updated that he was battling “severe illness.” This itself was a huge surprise, because Busch, after a long time, got back to the victory lane at Dover. Eventually the reason was cited as complications related to acute pneumonia and sepsis. Except no one wanted to believe this, and rumors started swirling around his death. But that is when former UFC fighter Ben Askren decided to step in.

The former UFC fighter explained how his own experience unfolded in almost the exact same way back in 2025. “This is literally what happened to me,” he wrote on X. I had zero breathing issues until the morning I was admitted to the hospital. The only symptom days before was back pain.

“I went to the hospital the day before I was admitted, and all vitals tested normal; besides back pain, I felt fine and even had a good workout.”

Ben Askren’s reply carries extra weight because of how quickly his condition worsened afterward. The former Bellator and ONE champion fighter spent 59 days in the hospital, fell into a deep coma, received a double lung transplant, and technically “died” four times during the ordeal.

“I just read through my wife’s journal, and it’s like a movie,” he said back in 2025. “It’s ridiculous. I only died four times, where the ticker stopped for about 20 seconds. That’s not ideal; I don’t know if you guys know that.”

In the blink of an eye, what began as a staph infection turned into life-threatening pneumonia, nearly killing him. That is why Ben Askren seems frustrated by claims that Kyle Busch’s death “made no sense.” His argument was simple: severe infections can sometimes spiral out of nowhere, even in high-level athletes who looked healthy just days earlier.

Since surviving the ordeal, ‘Funky’ has spoken openly about how much the experience changed his perspective on life. The 41-year-old has slowly returned to light training, media appearances, and even ended long-running feuds such as his bitter rivalry with Jorge Masvidal.

As far as speculation goes, it is understandable, to see your favorite driver suddenly pass away, was shocking. Many fans were perplexed as to how someone with top-tier medical access could deteriorate so quickly. Questions were popping up about someone missing something or misdiagnosing his condition.

One social media user even questioned how Busch could have been racing karts with his son just days before if his illness was so serious. 

It would be interesting to see if Dana White and company plan to deliver a touching tribute to the NASCAR Cup Series champion at UFC Freedom 250. After all, TKO might actually push the promotion to deliver one, considering the fact that the 41-year-old actually held a title in the WWE and was loved by Donald Trump.

Kyle Busch’s WWE history and Donald Trump connection may lead to a UFC White House tribute

The possibility of a tribute at UFC Freedom 250 may not be far-fetched at all. Even though Kyle Busch was best known for his NASCAR career, the late racing icon had a surprisingly strong connection to professional wrestling long before his sudden passing shocked the sports world.

Busch was a longtime WWE fan, and in 2009, he appeared on World Wrestling Entertainment television as a celebrity guest-host alongside fellow NASCAR driver Joey Logano. His natural villain-like personality immediately appealed to wrestling fans, and the bond between NASCAR and WWE got stronger as a result.

Later that year, Kyle Busch won at Texas Motor Speedway in a modified WWE-themed stock car, then celebrated with a replica WWE Championship belt in victory lane, creating one of the most famous crossover moments between racing and wrestling.

Busch’s most memorable WWE moment came years later in 2019, during NASCAR Champion’s Week in Nashville, when he attended a live WWE show with his family and got involved in a comical sequence with R-Truth and WWE 24/7 Championship chaos, as he pinned Truth to win the title, becoming the only NASCAR driver to ever do so.

In addition to WWE, Kyle Busch was highly admired by Donald Trump himself, as evident from the tribute the POTUS paid to the NASCAR icon.

“The LEGENDARY NASCAR driver Kyle Busch tragically and unexpectedly passed away yesterday,” he wrote on X. “He was a true talent who loved NASCAR and its fans. Kyle was a WINNER! He was a two-time Cup Champion, and holds the all-time record for WINS in NASCAR’s Top Three series, and even won another just last weekend.

“Kyle’s wife, Samantha, and their two beautiful children are in our thoughts and prayers. Samantha was at the White House in October for IVF. She truly loved Kyle! Rest in peace, Kyle Busch. You will always be a LEGEND!”

Given that WWE and UFC are now both under the TKO banner, and UFC Freedom 250 is being built around Donald Trump’s White House celebration, it wouldn’t be surprising if the company found a way to honor Busch during one of the most American-themed events in UFC history.