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Ben Askren Teases Return to Boxing, Says “Knocking Someone Out Looks Kind of Fun”

Published 09/12/2021, 8:54 AM EDT

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Former UFC welterweight Ben Askren fought YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in April. The eight-round cruiserweight battle ended rather quickly. ‘The Problem Child’ knocked Askren down in the first round. Despite getting past the ten-count, the referee had seen enough and immediately waved it off.

With Triller’s ‘Legends’ show featuring Holyfield vs Belfort, Silva vs Ortiz, and more, Ben Askren has now teased a return to the ring. However, he stated a specific condition for a second run at boxing.

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Ben Askren pointed out that he would consider coming out of retirement if he can book an opponent who he can “KO 100%“. He added and highlighted that knocking out an opponent seems “kind of fun“.

“I’ll unretire if they give my someone I can KO 100%.

Knocking someone out looks kind of fun lol,” said Ben Askren.

Jake Paul vs Ben Askren: Unfair stoppage?

Jake Paul started off strong and kept landing constant jabs on his opponent. He clearly knew his way around capitalizing on his natural size and reach advantage over Askren. The Ohio native did not allow his opponent to close in and fight from inside the pocket. At one point, Askren attempted to advance and strike, and Paul skillfully backed up while creating angles to avoid locking himself in the corner.

via Getty

Ben Askren’s defense was next to negligible in the fight. Jake Paul had picked up on this loophole in his game plan right from the start. 1 minute and 59 seconds into the first round, Paul saw Askren with a weak guard, landed a sharp left jab, and followed it up with an overhand right. This put Ben Askren flat on the canvas right away. As soon as he stood back up, the referee took another look at him and immediately called off the fight.

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The referee always has the final say inside the ring at all times. They have a superior understanding and ability to assess the situation and the damages before calling off a fight. Jake Paul had seriously hurt Ben Askren with the two-punch combination, and he clearly looked dazed after standing back up. If the referee would have allowed him to continue, the Ohio native would have easily hurt him once again as Askren clearly lacked control and composure.

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Written by:

Sanjit Misra

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Sanjit Misra is a boxing author at EssentiallySports. Sanjit fused this passion for writing with his love for jabs, hooks, weaves, and uppercuts and entered the realm of boxing journalism. The elegance, the science, the techniques, and the finesse of hand-to-hand combat was what initially drew him into the world of boxing.
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