Ben Askren could choke Jake Paul unconscious if he really wanted to. It’s that simple.
Unfortunately, Askren isn’t scheduled to fight Paul in a standard MMA bout. Instead, the two fighters will meet in a highly-anticipated boxing match that will headline Triller Fight Club’s pay-per-view (PPV) event tomorrow night (Sat., April 17, 2021) live on FITE TV from inside Mercedes-Benz Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
Askren will be returning to combat sports after retiring back in 2019. The former ONE Championship and Bellator MMA champion hasn’t won a fight since a controversial submission win over Robbie Lawler over two years ago. “Funky” will not only have to brush off some rust when he steps inside of the boxing ring against Paul, but he’ll have to leave his grappling skills at the door.
Or will he?
While Askren’s boxing match with Paul is a sanctioned bout with standard rules and regulations “Funky” has already opened the door to potentially breaking the rules. Askren would likely face some sort of financial penalty if he decides to take Paul down and choke him out in seconds, but the former UFC fighter seems open to the idea as long as he’s still getting paid.
It will be up to the fans to make it happen. All they have to do is come up with $500,000 to cover Askren’s fight purse.
“One of you guys can start a GoFundMe – how much would you give me to choke Jake Paul out with a guillotine? If the number’s bigger than my purse, maybe I’ll do it,” said Askren during open workouts earlier this week (h/t The Mirror).
UFC middleweight fighter Darren Till took to social media to show his support for Askren’s proposal.
If @Benaskren shoots for a double leg Saturday night & slams @jakepaul on his head.
He won’t need to worry about his purse because welle set up a Go-Fund me for him.— D (@darrentill2) April 15, 2021
“If @Benaskren shoots for a double leg Saturday night & slams @jakepaul on his head. He won’t need to worry about his purse because welle set up a Go-Fund me for him.”
Despite everything he’s accomplished throughout his collegiate and professional sports career Askren is a sizeable underdog against Paul. Most believe the only way “Funky” wins is by breaking the rules and dragging Paul to the mat like a sack of potatoes. Askren, on the other hand, is confident that his athletic capabilities will shine through when he makes his boxing debut.
“Boxing, obviously it’s different, but I told someone the other day that I’m really good at athletics,” he said. “I wanted to be a really great wrestler. I won NCAA titles and made the Olympics. I wanted to be a good mixed martial artist. I won multiple belts in multiple organizations. If I want to beat up an amateur boxer, it ain’t gonna take me more than three months of training to do so.”
For the complete Triller Fight Club PPV lineup and musical guests for April 17 click here.