Social media star turned would-be pugilist Jake Paul looks to add a veneer of legitimacy to his burgeoning career this Friday when he battles eleven-fight veteran Andre August in Orlando.
Unlike his previous appearances, this one’s on standard DAZN, no extra PPV charge required.
Also on tap that evening is top female knockout artist Shadasia Green’s title bout with double-tough Franchon Crews-Dezurn, plus the latest from red-hot Cuban prospect Yoenis Tellez.
It’s the main event that’s selling the tickets, though, so let’s take a closer look.
THE FIGHT
Let’s start by making clear who and what Andre August is: your prototypical club fighter. He spent the first six years of his pro career bouncing around his native Texas as a Light Heavyweight, racking up wins over dismal competition and contriving to lose to a man in Eric Abraham who was 3-3 at the time and 7-16 now.
He then spent nearly four years on the sidelines, ultimately returning in August of this year to cruise past undefeated Brandon Martin. It marked his official Cruiserweight debut, his first fight outside of Texas, and his second win over a fighter with a winning record.
In short, he’s the kind of opponent a normal Cruiserweight prospect, if handled conservatively, would meet in their ninth fight.
While he’s got genuine boxing experience going for him, I’m not convinced he’s any more dangerous than the likes of Anderson Silva or Nate Diaz. He’s clearly a good 20+ pounds above his ideal weight, leaving him to plod around the ring like his shoes are filled with concrete. While he’s decent at close range, a lack of speed and general boxing craft leave him unable to actually get there with any consistency.
It’s not like he’s a puncher, either. His knockouts dried up the second his competition went from “abysmal” to “incompetent.”
Paul’s footwork may be a work in progress, but it’s more than sufficient to let him run circles around August and pepper him with straight shots from outside his range. Even if August does somehow manage to hunt him down, he’s not going to put a dent in him before Paul either ties up or slips away.
I’m 100/0 that Paul will win and 50/50 as to whether he’ll get the finish. Ah, hell, let’s be optimistic.
Prediction: Paul def. August by third-round TKO
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of tonight’s DAZN main card. Things kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, with Paul and August likely to make the walk closer to 10:30.
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