"He's gonna smash the dude" - Mike Perry reveals his favorite for the Ben Askren vs Jake Paul fight
UFC welterweight Mike Perry is rooting for Jake Paul in the latter's upcoming boxing clash against Ben Askren. Platinum has acknowledged Paul's boxing skills, and claimed he will "smash" the former Bellator champion.
In his recent interview with The Schmo, Perry explained why the YouTuber is likely to come out on top in his third professional boxing fight opposite Askren:
"It's really annoying to see people trying to pick this dude (Ben Askren) up just because he's going to get in there and fight when it's really Jake Paul who is taking a risk, putting his celeb status on the line. He's (Paul) going to smash the dude (Askren) because obviously, you could see through pressers Ben Askren doesn't want to fight, and Jake Paul's skills are real," said Perry.
Mike Perry further added there's a certain way that fighters are expected to carry themselves, which Askren pays no heed to, according to him. He then referred to Askren as a "computer nerd".
Mike Perry on sparring with Jake Paul
In the same interview, Mike Perry also reflected on his sparring session with Jake Paul. He said Paul has good boxing skills and claimed they both traded heavy punches while sparring:
"Jake Paul is a really good boxer. He did really good," Perry told The Schmo. "He called me out there, and I got my chance to get in there and we did six rounds together. He popped me in the face a couple of times, I popped him back a little bit. It was a great workout. I am rooting for the guy. Ben Askren has been acting like such a clown".
Perry also described what sets The Problem Child apart from MMA fighters. He said Paul's ability to deal with media attention and social media outrage gives him an edge over Askren.
Platinum is set to face Daniel Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 23. In his last fight, Perry came in 4.5 pounds overweight at the weigh-ins. However, the 29-year-old successfully made weight this time around. Perry last fought Tim Means at UFC 255 in November 2020, and lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Mike Perry is 2-3 in his last five fights and will certainly be hoping to get back into the win column with a victory over Rodriguez.