Massive Boxing Fight Between Jake Paul and Ben Askren Announced for April 17

Renowned internet personality turned pro-boxer Jake Paul has his third professional fight ahead of him. Paul will fight former UFC welterweight Ben Askren in a sanctioned boxing event on April 17th. The fight will mark Askren’s pro-boxing debut, who has held world championships in multiple MMA organizations.

Triller co-founder Ryan Kavanaugh broke the news to ESPN earlier today. The fight will take place inside a 20 by 20 ring with 10-ounce gloves. Kavanaugh added that the fight, which will headline the event, will take place under the banner of Triller Fight Club. The location of the fight, among other details such as the undercard, will be revealed in the upcoming weeks.

Askren has been a welterweight for his entire MMA career. Jake Paul, in his last boxing fight, weighed in at 189 pounds. Although the weight class for the fight isn’t final yet, it would be contested in the 185-190-pound range, as per sources.

Jake Paul confident of knocking out Ben Askren in his latest social media post

Jake Paul made his professional boxing debut last year in January against fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib. After winning the fight in the first round of a scheduled sixth, Paul fought former NBA player Nate Robinson in November 2020. After Paul knocked out Robinson, his fame shot up overnight. Since then, he has been angling for a fight with Conor McGregor and Dillon Danis.

After the news of the booking broke out, Paul took to Instagram and had a lengthy message for his followers. The younger of the two Paul brothers reminded everyone that Askren has lesser losses as compared to Conor McGregor. Therefore, if he knocks out the former ONE Championship and Bellator welterweight champ, his doubters and naysayers will have to take their words back.

Prior to him testing the waters of the UFC, many considered Askren as one of the best welterweights in the world. A decorated wrestler in college and a former Olympian, Askren has won most of his MMA fights on the back of his impressive grappling. Despite his success in other promotions, ‘Funky’ couldn’t translate the same in the UFC.

In a three stint fight, Askren lost the last two. One of these losses came against Jorge Masvidal in a matter of five seconds, making it the fastest knockout in UFC history. Askren would retire shortly after in 2020 as he required a hip replacement surgery. He has recovered from the same and hence will look to make a statement win against Jake Paul.

WATCH: When Jorge Masvidal Produced the Craziest Knockout Ever in 5 Seconds