Jake Paul after defeating Nate Robinson.
Michael Reaves/Stringer via GettyWe’re merely days away from YouTuber Jake Paul taking on ex-MMA fighter Ben Askren in a boxing match. They’ll fight on April 17, starting around 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET.
It’s the latest in a series of boxing matches featuring the Paul brothers, but this one’s stranger in that Askren fought in MMA. He was also primarily a wrestler with rudimentary boxing.
But let’s start at the start…
Fight details
Jake Paul and Ben Askren are fighting eight rounds at Cruiserweight. That means that both fighters can’t weigh anything over 200 pounds. Considering Askren fought at 170 during his MMA run and 174 as a collegiate wrestler, you can expect him to be massively under that limit. Jake Paul weighed in at 189 pounds for his las boxing match.
When does the fight take place?
According to the Triller page, the main event will start around 9pm EDT on April 17. That’s 6pm PDT.
Viewers in the UK will have to stay up till 2 a.m. on April 18 to watch the fight. If you’re tuning in from Australia, the fight takes place at 11 a.m. on April 18.
Who is Jake Paul?
Jake Paul is the brother of Logan Paul. Both are YouTuber online personalities with sizeable followings across almost every social media platform. They initially gained popularity on now-defunct video platform Vine and Jake Paul starred in Bizaardvark, a show on the Disney Channel.
As of late both Paul brothers have become well-known for — bizarrely — boxing. Logan Paul boxed fellow YouTuber KSI to a draw in a ludicrously high profile amateur boxing match in August 2018. Jake Paul fought KSI’s brother Deji Olatunji on the undercard.
After the bout Jake Paul continued boxing and has fought professionally twice, most recently knocking out former NBA star Nate Robinson on the undercard of Mike Tyson’s recent comeback against Roy Jones Jr.
Since that contest Jake Paul has been going back and forth with multiple MMA fighters, including Conor McGregor and his training partner Dillon Danis, but ultimately he’s set up a boxing match against retired UFC fighter Ben Askren.
Who is Ben Askren?
Ben Askren is probably most famous for being violently KO’d by UFC superstar Jorge Masvidal in five seconds, but before that he was an undefeated fighter and considered among the most effective wrestlers in MMA.
After an incredibly successful amateur wrestling career Askren became a world champion in two organisations, Bellator and One FC. He made a UFC run at the end of his career, but by then was carrying a number of chronic long term injuries. He ultimately retired as a result of those injuries.
How do I watch?
That one is pretty straight forward. You can purchase the Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren PPV event on Triller Fight Club for US$49.99.
Who is the betting favourite?
Oddsmakers have Paul listed as -225 better favourite with Askren at +175.
This makes perfect sense. While this fight is an unknown quantity, Askren was never considered a good striker in MMA. His whole game was set up around his grinding wrestling and brutal ground and pound strikes. When the fight remains standing, Askren tends to look sluggish and limited. Jake Paul, whilst inexperienced, has more professional boxing experience than Askren and hasn’t lost a boxing match yet.
That being said, Askren is a former professional fighter with a 19-2 record and wins against world class competition. Jake Paul is 2-0 against less experienced opposition.
Press conference
Triller held a Conor McGregor-esque press conference a few weeks ago, allowing Jake Paul and Ben Askren to go at each other.
It ended up in a comical staredown where Ben Askren sort of casually palmed Paul’s face and Paul responded by throwing the weirdest pulled punch I’ve ever seen.
Solid preview for how this fight is going to play out? Possibly.
Who else is on the fight card?
The full fight card is as follows…
- Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren
- Regis Prograis vs. Ivan Redkac
- Steve Cunningham vs. Frank Mir
- Joe Fournier vs. Andres Felipe Robledo Lodono
- Junior Younan vs. Jeyson Minda
- Lorenzo Simpson vs. Francisco Torres
- Quinton Randall vs. William Jackson
Performances and commentary team
Outside of boxing, the Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren event is expected to feature multiple performances by legitimate A-listers.
Justin Bieber, Diplo, The Black Keys, Doja Cat and Major Lazer are all expected to perform. Mt. Westmore, a new rap group features — get this — Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, E-40, and Too $hort are also scheduled to appear.
Bizarrely, Pete Davidson has been added to the commentary team. During the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. — fight Triller’s last big PPV event — Snoop Dogg’s commentary went a little bit viral. Sounds like Triller is going for the same vibe with this PPV.
Celebrities also confirmed to attend include supermodel Taylor Hill, Mario Lopez and TikTok superstars Dixie and Charli D’Amelio.