YouTuber Jake Paul Will Fight Former UFC Star Ben Askren In Boxing Match

YouTuber Jake Paul has found his next boxing opponent in UFC star Ben Askren.

The two will go head to head on April 17 in an eight-round boxing match, which will be the MMA welterweight champion's first professional boxing fight.

It seems Paul has put his hopes of fighting Conor McGregor on hold and looks forward to stepping into the ring with Askren.

He said: "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.

"Me, on the other hand, I started boxing two years ago and I'm still going to knock his ass out faster than [Jorge] Masvidal.

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"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."

Askren has lost his last two fights, with Jorge Masvidal giving him a savage KO in July two years ago and he submitted to Demian Maia three months later. He won his first fight against Robbie Lawler via submission in March 2019.

Despite the rocky career, Askren reckons he will be able to put Paul in his place.

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Speaking to ESPN, the former UFC star said: "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."

The full card for the night will feature people from the 'present and past' worlds of boxing and will include other social media celebrities and MMA fighters.

Askren retired from MMA last year after he needed hip replacement surgery, which was completed in August last year.

ESPN says the former UFC star was still under contract with the MMA brand, however has been given permission to compete in the boxing match.

Topics: SPORT, Entertainment, Celebrity, Jake Paul

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie