"I'm going to put his dreams to an end" - Ben Askren with an ominous warning to opponent Jake Paul ahead of boxing match
YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul will fight former UFC fighter Ben Askren in his next fight.
It was reported earlier today that Jake Paul will face Ben Askren in an eight-round professional boxing match on April 17. The news was confirmed by Triller co-founder Ryan Kavanaugh to ESPN.
The bout will be the first ever pro boxing outing of Ben Askren, while Jake Paul has fought twice before and secured KO wins in both the bouts. However, that did not stop Ben Askren from issuing a warning to the YouTube sensation. The MMA fighter promises to put Jake Paul's dreams "to an end" by showing him what it is like to fight a "real" fighter.
"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," Ben Askren said.
Neither of the opponents Jake Paul has faced till date are professional fighters or boxers. His first professional win was against fellow YouTuber and online gamer, AnEsonGib, and the second one was over former NBA player, Nate Robinson.
Jake Paul: It's light out for Askren
After his win over Nate Robinson, Jake Paul called out a long list of MMA fighters, Conor McGregor the biggest name among them. Since them, the YouTuber has uploaded a number of videos and social media posts addressing 'The Notorious', none of them respectful.
However, it seems like Jake Paul has finally settled for Ben Askren as his opponent. The reason he cited was that Ben Askren has less losses on his record than Conor McGregor.
"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," Jake Paul said.
"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."
According to Kavanaugh, the fight will take place in a twenty-by-twenty ring with 10-ounce gloves. The weight class is yet to be made official, but is likely to be 185-190 pounds. The venue is also unannounced.
The event will mark the second boxing under under the banner of Triller, the first one being the one headlined by Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr.