YouTube star turner professional boxer Jake Paul is officially set to face Ben Askren for a professional boxing bout. Paul will be facing the first person having a pro fighting record. The bout will be of 8 rounds on April 17. After knocking out the former NBA star Nate Robinson in the second round, Paul had called out Conor McGregor for a match. But, that callout was left unanswered by McGregor and that mega-fight never came to fruition. Talking about Askren, he doesn’t possess any experience as a boxer but has had an eventful career as an MMA fighter.
Jake Paul Is Giving People What They Want By Fighting a Real Fighter
Jake Paul has said that after KOing Nate Robinson, he had shocked the world. But still many people had doubted his credibility. So, now he is fighting Funky to show them that he can very well take on a real fighter. Check out what he’s got to say about his fight against Askren:
“Ben Askren is a two-time NCAA champion, a world champion in two different global mixed martial arts organizations and has less losses on his record than Conor McGregor.
Me, on the other hand, I started boxing two years ago and I’m still going to knock his ass out faster than [Jorge] Masvidal. These MMA guys think because they throw punches they know how to box. The world complained because I knocked out a basketball player and not a real fighter.
So now I’m giving the people what they want by taking on a ‘real fighter.’ After Ben Askren is added to my knockout meme collection, what can anybody say? Thank you to Triller Fight Club for giving me the platform to once again put a man to sleep. April 17, it’s lights out for Askren.”
🥊 Announced: YouTuber Jake Paul will face former UFC fighter Ben Askren in a boxing match on April 17th. Paul said: "I shocked the world when I knocked out an NBA athlete, but some still complained he's not a real fighter. So now I'm giving the people what they want."
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) January 26, 2021
While Jake Paul might seem to be very confident about his fight against the former champ, Funky has also vowed to give him a rude awakening to what being a fighter is really like.
“I know Jake Paul is enjoying pretending he is a fighter. I think on April 17 he is going to have a rude awakening to what being a fighter is really like. Jake has led a privileged life and doesn’t really know what the meaning of being a fighter is. I’m going to put his dreams to an end.” Askren said.
Also read: What’s Next For Michael Chandler?
Boxer vs MMA Fighter – Jake Paul vs Ben Askren
This fight will surely go down as a fight between a boxer and a mixed martial artist. Though not as big as the possible mega-fight between Paul and McGregor, this is still going to be an entertaining back and forth.
Relatively new combat sport fans might think it to be an easy task for Jake due to Askren’s UFC record. But Funky has been in the fight game for very long and had been undefeated for a decade. Once considered to be the best wrestler outside of UFC, he has defeated the likes of Robbie Lawler. After being crowned the welterweight champion with Bellator and ONE, he signed with UFC and retired just a year ago. With a record of 19 wins and just 2 losses, he might prove to be a tremendous task for Paul.
Jake Paul Has Unsuccessfully Tried To Persuade Conor McGregor To Fight Him
After knocking out Robinson in his second pro fight, Jake Paul started calling out McGregor offering him a whopping $50 million and even took personal jabs at him. But, the fight didn’t come to fruition. Now, it is to be seen how this fight goes especially keeping in mind that Askren is a wrestler. This bout can give Askren a chance to prove his mettle in combat sports once again. But if the fight goes in Paul’s favor, he might end up proving his point that he’s a legit fighter. Let’s know your opinions on Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren in the comments.
Also read: This Video of Conor McGregor After the Loss to Dustin Poirier Will Make You a Fan
