Ahead of Nate Diaz Fight, Jake Paul’s Ex-Rival Drops Serious Claims Backing YouTuber Over Ex-UFC Star

The rivalry between Jake Paul and UFC fighters inside the boxing ring is no secret to anyone familiar with the combat sports scene. In August this year, the former Disney star will square off with Nate Diaz to write the next chapter in the much-heated beef. Amidst the upcoming bout, fighters across the two sports are coming up with their predictions. The latest of which comes from the former UFC star, Ben Askren.

Despite being from the MMA clan, the former ONE Championship welterweight champion has picked Jake Paul over his fellow UFC alumni to win this matchup. The former NCAA wrestler attributes Paul’s boxing record to be the basis for this statement. Askren shared his prediction on Daniel Cormier’s podcast DC & RC as a response to his question. Askren said, “Like I gotta imagine so. I don’t think Jake Paul would beat Tyron or Anderson Silva. So yeah, I kind of think so.”

For context, Askren locked horns with ‘The Problem Child’ in April 2021, with the bout ending in a KO loss for the MMA fighter. Apart from him, UFC legends like Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley (twice) have also gone to toe against Jake Paul as well. But much to the dismay of the MMA fans, none of the MMA fighters has humbled Paul yet. The latest addition to the list of Jake Psul’s boxing opponents from UFC is Nate Diaz, and the two are scheduled to face each on August 5th. 

Daniel Cormier is not counting out Nate Diaz

Unlike his guest, Daniel Cormier is not counting out Nate Diaz, attributing the veteran’s experience as a reason for his belief. Although it’s Diaz’s debut boxing match, the former heavyweight thinks he has adequate training to get the job done. If the former two-division UFC champion is to be believed, Paul’s size wouldn’t give him any serious advantage over the MMA fighter.

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Even though the former Olympian has acknowledged Paul’s growth as a boxer, he believes Paul isn’t as good as some think. He supported this claim by stating ‘The Problem Child’s recent loss to Tommy Fury. Further, ‘DC’ highlighted the boxer’s overdependence on his right hand as a weakness that could be exploited. Recalling the said bout, Cormier said, “Because Tommy Fury pretty much limited him to just throwing overhand rights. He didn’t have an answer for Tommy Fury, a guy that’s been boxing for as long as Fury’s been boxing. He just kept trying to hit him with the overhand right.”

It is interesting to note that in the past, Jake Paul has also called Daniel Cormier. This incident occurred during UFC 261 when the two engaged in an alteration. But despite the heated verbal exchange, Cormier refused to move ahead with Paul’s demand for a boxing match.

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