Jake Paul to Box Ex-UFC Fighter Ben Askren in April

• Jake Paul will fight former UFC fighter Ben Askren on April 17
• Paul is 2-0 as a boxer after wins over AnEsonGib and Nate Robinson
• This will be Askren’s first professional boxing match

The Paul brothers have caused quite a stir in the world of boxing over the past couple of years. The YouTube stars have made no secret of their desire to become boxing’s next superstars. Just last week, it was reported that Logan Paul’s highly-anticipated fight with Floyd Mayweather will likely be postponed until later this year.

On Wednesday, ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported that Paul’s brother, Jake, has already set up a fight of his own. Jake Paul will face ex-UFC fighter Ben Askren in an eight-round boxing match on April 17. The news came via Triller co-founder Ryan Kavanaugh.

The bout between Paul and Askren will happen under the Triller Fight Club banner and will be the main event. The fight will be televised on pay-per-view, but the location has yet to be determined. ESPN says the full fight card will include recognizable names from boxing as well as MMA fighters and other celebrities.

Paul and Askren will each wear 10-ounce gloves with the fight taking place in a 20-by-20 ring. This will be the first professional boxing match of Askren’s career after he posted a 19-2 record across 22 professional MMA matches.

Trash Talk From Both Sides

Askren said,

“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 had to receive permission from UFC in order to take place in the event because he is still under contract with Dana White’s organization.

The weight class hasn’t yet been determined, but it is expected to be in the 185-190-pound range.

Paul is 2-0 in his boxing career to this point. The 24-year-old defeated another YouTuber, AnEsonGib, via first-round TKO in his debut back in January of 2020. This past November, Paul made headlines with a second-round knockout of former NBA slam dunk champion Nate Robinson.

A number of other athletes and fighters have asked Paul for a fight since his win over Robinson, but he ultimately chose to take on Askren. Paul said,

“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.”

While he was happy to talk up the track record of his opponent, the social media star quickly reversed course and touted himself. Paul added,

“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.”

Askren’s Return

The 36-year-old Askren officially retired from MMA competition last year citing the need for hip replacement surgery, which he underwent last August. Askren began his MMA career 19-0 before he was knocked out in five seconds by Masvidal during their bout in July of 2019. That is still the record for the fastest knockout in the history of UFC. Askren was defeated via submission by Demien Maia in his last match in October of 2019.

Triller is the new social networking app that served as the organizer for the boxing match between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. in November. Paul defeated Robinson in an undercard event that same night.