7 Months Removed From the Jake Paul Fight, Ben Askren Makes a Painful Admission

Published 11/22/2021, 5:30 AM EST

Ben Askren suffered a horrific defeat in April when he laced up the boxing gloves to face Jake Paul on April 17 in a Triller main-event. Following his back-to-back losses in the UFC, a move to the boxing ring wasn’t a very great decision, at least for his in-ring legacy. Askren earned the biggest payday of his career but ended up losing to a Youtuber who was just 2-0 as a boxer back then.

Several people criticized Askren after the loss. While the former wrestler already had minimal striking accolades at his disposal, most of the fanbase believed he accepted the fight for the finances. However, Askren’s recent claims reflect a different scenario. The former UFC star connected with Lex Fridman and claimed that he prepared hard for the fight. But some medical factors seemingly cost him the win.

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Ben Askren said, “Once I had my hip surgery you know they said, you know for the first six weeks you can’t even walk and it was hard for me to listen to him because by week four and a five, I was feeling pretty good. I want to give him my crutches. But I am like you know what this is for the rest of my life.”

“So if you get the real hip replacement, there’s no wrestling, there’s no nothing. So that’s the next step, So okay, I am gonna take this seriously. I do my crutch for the six weeks, the next six weeks it’s still really like low weight-bearing. Can’t yes, do anything you know.”

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Ben Askren vs Jake Paul ended Funky’s career

Once a titleholder at ONE championship, Askren didn’t have a very successful run in the UFC. Jorge Masvidal knocked him out in a record 5 seconds before Demian Maia submitted Askren in another massive upset.

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Following his UFC exit, Askren could have explored some other MMA promotions. But he went ahead for the lucrative option and chose to box Jake Paul to secure millions in his bank account. It worked well for his net worth. However, Askren is no longer a relevant name in the boxing world.

Jake Paul used him as a launching pad up for his record and that has clearly put a massive dent on Askren’s legacy. The 37-year-old has already passed his prime, so, he may not enter the octagon again. But exhibition matchups can still be a valid option to bring back ‘Funky’ out of retirement.

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Do you think Ben Askren still has a fight or two left in him?

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Written by:

A senior boxing writer at EssentiallySports, Raj Sarkar is a mass media graduate who is currently pursuing his master’s degree in broadcast journalism. In addition to his current role, he has worked with the MMA team at EssentiallySports and has interviewed prominent fighters such as Ritu Phogat and 'The Red King' Rory MacDonald. Combining his bachelor's degree with his adoration for combat sports, he has earned a combined 3000 plus bylines over the last two years.

7 Months Removed From the Jake Paul Fight, Ben Askren Makes a Painful Admission

Ben Askren vs Jake Paul ended Funky’s career

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