
Crossover Battle: Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren boxing bout set for April
It was only a matter of time until Jake Paul found a new opponent in the boxing ring. Now, the competition for the YouTube star has increased, this time coming from the world of MMA.
It was announced that Paul will be taking on former MMA fighter Ben Askren in a boxing bout. The fight will take place on April 17 on Triller, co-founder Ryan Kavanaugh ended up telling ESPN. A location for the event has not been announced yet. This will be the second boxing card produced by Triller following Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. in November.
Paul, who appeared on the Tyson-Jones card, recently beat former NBA star Nate Robinson via knockout. The fight ended in the second round, an increase in time in the ring compared to his first fight, a TKO win against AnEsonGib. While he has continued to call out Conor McGregor, especially after the “Notorious” one’s loss to Dustin Poirier, he will take another MMA star.
It’s official😈. April 17th. @triller Fight Club. pic.twitter.com/eYcaTOJhlt
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) January 26, 2021
Jake won’t be the only Paul fighting this year. Logan will face the legendary Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition bout. It is just another example of the Paul brothers taking over boxing.
Askren (19-2, 1 NC) has never competed in a boxing ring but is excited to take on Paul.
“I know Jake Paul is enjoying pretending he is a fighter,” Askren stated to ESPN. “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.”
A gold medalist in wrestling, Askren was a dominant freestyle fighter. He then joined MMA professionally in 2009, joining Bellator in 2010. He was the Bellator welterweight champion and would eventually sign with ONE Championship. While with the Singapore-based promotion, Askren would win the ONE welterweight title.
Askren was involved in a “sign and trade” to the UFC, where he won his promotional debut at UFC 235 against Robbie Lawler. He then was involved in a viral knockout loss against Jorge Masvidal and lost to Demian Maia via submission a few months later. “Funky” retired from the sport following hip replacement surgery. On the side, he hosts podcasts while also helping young wrestlers.
The event will air on traditional PPV. There is hope that fans will be allowed to attend the event, at least in a limited capacity. If done, it will be a true clash of styles under the most entertaining of circumstances.
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The Scrap
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