Ben Askren apologizes to the MMA world after failing to beat Jake Paul in their boxing match
After his first-round TKO loss to Jake Paul, MMA veteran Ben Askren took to Twitter to apologize for his performance. Shortly after his unsuccessful boxing debut, Askren took to Twitter to comment on his loss.
Ben Askren was knocked out in the opening round of his fight against the YouTube sensation Jake Paul. Despite the loss, the former ONE Championship welterweight champion was seen walking away with a smile on his face and it didn't take Funky too long to reflect on his defeat.
Here's what Ben Askren wrote on Twitter:
Following his retirement from the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, the fight against Paul was Ben Askren's return to the world of combat sports. However, things didn't turn out the way Askren would've hoped for, and instead, the former UFC fighter was put down by Paul in the opening round of their bout.
Moments after the knockdown, the referee called off the fight in favor of Jake Paul, as Ben Askren was unable to continue. After the win, Paul celebrated in the arena with Logan Paul and Snoop Dogg, and also had a message for UFC president Dana White.
Jake Paul was confident prior to the fight that he would be able to beat Ben Askren. When asked about his chances yesterday, Paul said that a knockout in the early rounds was very much on the cards and that is exactly what happened in today's match.
It now remains to be seen who Jake's next opponent turns out to be and if he will fight another MMA veteran in his next boxing bout. The showdown against fellow YouTuber KSI has been in talks for months now and definitely remains a possibility after Jake's win over Ben Askren.
What's next for Ben Askren?
Ben Askren is quite unlikely to return to the world of MMA after having retired with two UFC losses on his resume.
However, the former Bellator champion could be open to another potential boxing fight after this, unless Askren decides to focus on his life outside the ring after his recent showdown.
That being said though, Funky sure did earn a huge paycheck for his fight against Paul, one that could potentially intrigue him in returning for another boxing bout.