“When Ben knocks Jake Paul on his ass on Saturday night, YouTube will have itself a new most-viewed video highlight,” Roach said.
Ben Askren’s boxing coach Freddie Roach is expecting his fighter to end the hype of Jake Paul this weekend.
Askren will meet Paul in an eight-round boxing match this Saturday at the Mercedez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The fight will mark Askren’s first return to professional competition since retiring from MMA in November 2019.
Since making his pro boxing debut last year, YouTube and Internet celebrity Paul has caught the attention of the combat sports world. Paul knocked out former NBA player Nate Robinson last November and called for fights with Conor McGregor and Dillon Danis before being matched against Askren.
“Ben is so driven. He has a great work ethic,” Roach told MMA Fighting. “He had no problem with trying anything I recommended and gave me everything I asked of him in the gym. He has a lot of power. He’s a helluva guy.”
Roach went on to say that he isn’t bothered by the increased number of celebrities stepping over to boxing in search of big paydays. Despite this, he is hoping for Askren to turn the ‘YouTube boob’ Paul into a highlight reel in their fight.
“I refer to Jake Paul as the ‘YouTube boob,’” Roach said. “I’ve seen video of him fighting and his press conference with Ben. It’s really hard for me to watch him too long.
“I know one thing, when Ben knocks Jake Paul on his ass on Saturday night, YouTube will have itself a new most-viewed video highlight.”
Paul vs. Askren will take place live on Triller/Fite.TV this Saturday, April 17.