Jake Paul finally is going to have his long-awaited desire to face an MMA fighter fulfilled, as the YouTuber-cum-boxer is slated to take on former UFC fighter Ben Askren for an eight-round boxing match, scheduled to take place on 17th April.
Jake Paul vs Ben Askren pro boxing match set for April 17
The bout was officially confirmed by Ryan Kavanaugh, the founder of Triller, who revealed the details of the fight to Ariel Helwani. However, the venue for the match is yet to be decided.
The fight was further confirmed by ESPN as well as both contenders on their respective social media handles.
It’s official😈. April 17th. @triller Fight Club. pic.twitter.com/eYcaTOJhlt
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) January 26, 2021
Jake Paul, who is 2-0 in his pro boxing career, has defeated fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib and former NBA star Nate Robinson and recently called out several UFC fighters on Instagram with hilarious mimicking clips, including Askren.
Representing the UFC, Mr. Napoleon Dynamite look-alike Ben Askren finally accepted the fight,” a statement from Jake read on Twitter.
Furthermore, the 24-year-old went onto mention Askren’s 5 second KO loss against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 239, as well as mocking Conor McGregor for having more defeats compared to his upcoming boxing opponent.
“He 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, yet, I’m still going to knock him out faster than Masvidal did,” Jake added in his statement.
However, Askren was not quiet about the fight and fired back at Jake Paul. “Its cute that Jake thinks he is a real fighter, Im gonna beat him up April 17,” he tweeted.
Its cute that Jake thinks he is a real fighter, Im gonna beat him up April 17 https://t.co/XcsJ8WhmR3
— Funky (@Benaskren) January 26, 2021
A former welterweight champion in Bellator and One Championship, Ben Askren (19–2, 1 NC) made his UFC debut at UFC 235 in March 2019 against former UFC Welterweight Champion Robbie Lawler.
The 36-year-old’s stint in the UFC was short lived, as he had his last UFC appearance as well as his last MMA fight at UFC Fight Night 162 against Demian Maia in October 2019, where he lost via technical submission. It marked his second consecutive defeat since his Masvidal upset.
The boxing match will also mark Askren’s pro boxing debut as well as marking his return to combat sports after one and a half year.
Jake recently called out Mcgregor after getting knocked out against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, jokingly reducing his previous fight offer of $50 million to $10,000.
However, now Jake’s focus will be on Askren and we can surely expect some mockery content coming.
Who do you think has the upper hand between Jake Paul and Ben Askren? Let us know in the comments below.
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