"Hard to tell whether he's really sincere about it"- Ben Askren talks about Jake Paul's fighter pay campaign
Ben Askren recently weighed in on Jake Paul's efforts to increase the pay for UFC fighters.
In a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Askren touched upon various topics including his career in the UFC, Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal and his new book.
At one point during the interview, the 37-year-old was asked for his thoughts on Paul's campaign regarding better compensation for UFC athletes. 'Funky' said that he was unsure of the Cleveland native's intentions behind the campaign.
"Hard to tell whether he's really sincere about it, you know? Maybe he is. If he is, that's great... There's probably some people behind him who have extra incentive to poke that bear," said Ben Askren.
Watch the full Ben Askren interview with Ariel Helwani below:
Jake Paul has called out the UFC and Dana White on the matter of fighter pay on multiple ocassions. 'The Problem Child' child has accused the promotion of grossly underpaying their fighters and has been advocating for the athletes to be treated better.
I’ve invested in EDR (UFC) stock with my partner @geoffreywoo 2 focus on UFCs ESG standards relating to fighters. We believe EDR can drive long-term economic value by increasing UFC fighter pay & providing them healthcare. Reaching out to @EngineNo_1 to partner on this “endeavor”
Jake Paul fought Ben Askren in a boxing match
Jake Paul competed against Ben Askren in a boxing match in April 2021. The fight was 'Funky's debut as a professional boxer. Paul, on the other hand, fought twice prior to their encounter and won both contests via knockout.
The fight did not go Askren's way as he was knocked out in the opening round of the bout.
Paul then went on to fight Askren's friend and teammate Tyron Woodley twice. Their first encounter took place in August 2021 and ended with a split-decision victory for 'The Problem Child'.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer was scheduled to face Tommy Fury next but 'TNT' pulled out due to an injury. Woodley then stepped in on short notice for a rematch.
The decision did not bode well for 'The Chosen One' as he was knocked out cold in the sixth round of the fight.
Watch the clip below:
As of now, Paul is rumored to be in talks for a bout with former WBC Middleweight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. However, there is no official confirmation for the same yet.