After a tense few months, the combat sports community breathed a sigh of relief when Ben Askren recently shared an optimistic update after fighting a Staphylococcus infection that had progressed to pneumonia. Reportedly, the 40-year-old’s condition was so severe that he had to undergo an emergency double lung transplant—a $2 million treatment that his health insurance refused to cover. With things looking completely grim for the former MMA star, Jake Paul became one of the few to step in.

As soon as the news went public, the combat world started a fundraiser for the Iowa native. ‘The Problem Child’ immediately lashed out at the insurance firm and Dana White for not standing beside their former fighter. After his victory over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr late last month, he promised to do his part in helping his former opponent. However, we didn’t hear anything from the 28-year-old after that. That all changed when a social media post by The Rugby League revealed that he had covered 1/4th of his former opponent’s treatment bill by quietly donating $500,000. The touching act won ‘El Gallo’ global admiration, softening his ‘Bad Guy’ image slightly. But despite everything, the 12-1 boxer remained silent. There was no showboating, no public sighting, or even a whimper from his side.

So, when reporters finally got the chance to ask Jake Paul about the generous act during the Amanda Serrano vs Katie Taylor 3 post-event conference, they didn’t miss. Yet again, Paul remained quiet, visibly uncomfortable. Until Nakisa Bidarian stepped in with high praise for ‘The Problem Child,’ emphasizing his kinder side. “We just pray for Ben to get better. What Jake has done for many people is unbelievable at his age of 28. He was putting a belt, right, on a number of fighters, wasted, at age 28. Who else is doing that in the sport? In any sport. Who’s lifting the trophy? There’s no promoter like him. And what he does in terms of charitable contributions, what he does in terms of Boxing Bullies, what he does for other athletes,” Bidarian emphasized.

The MVP co-founder revealed that Jake Paul has helped countless athletes like Ben Askren. “There’s times when there’s news of some athlete being sick or needing help in the UK, and he hits me up and he’s like, ‘Hey, let’s help this person out’. And I say, ‘Okay, no problem. ‘ It’s his money, but sure,” Bidarian added, while asking the press to acknowledge and applaud his kindness and compassion.

So, despite the online persona Jake Paul portrays, “he’s an amazing guy,” Bidarian declared, earning applause from the crowd. Bidarian is not the only one moved by the Ohian’s gesture. After the news leaked, Amanda Serrano took it upon herself to remind everyone that ‘The Problem Child’ is not what everyone thinks he is.

Jake Paul: The unlikeliest hero

After ‘The Rugby League’ report went viral over social media, former U.S. Army emergency operations manager Dennis Roady took to his ‘X’ to applaud the 12-1 boxer. “👏👏👏👏👏 love this!” he wrote while posting a screengrab of the report. The post caught the eye of seven-division champion, Amanda Serrano, who declared, “I’m telling you He’s Different!”

‘The Real Deal’ noted how Jake Paul kept his contributions hidden and had no ulterior motive behind them. Despite widespread perceptions about him, only those closest to him truly know his real character. “Not once did he go public with this. @jakepaul isn’t what most think. To know him is to love him 🙏❤️,” she added proudly.

Thankfully, Ben Askren is out of danger now and is on his path to recovery. While he still has a long way to go, the recent updates have been optimistic. We at EssentiallySports wish the former Bellator and ONE Welterweight Champion a speedy and complete recovery.