Ben Askren took to social media and came out with his immediate reaction to suffering a devastating KO defeat. The YouTube star, Jake Paul, knocked the former UFC welterweight fighter in the very first round. ‘The Problem Child’ landed a powerful straight right that clocked Askren right in the dome and sent him down.
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Chiefly, the referee stepped in and waved off the fight as he deemed Askren unfit to properly defend himself. While the fight commentators immediately questioned the stoppage, it wasn’t the overarching narrative of the fight. The key takeaway from the bout was Jake Paul defeating a former MMA fighter, and Ben Askren was aware of this.
Sorry world 🙁
— Funky (@Benaskren) April 18, 2021
The defeat will now join the ranks of his five-second flying knee KO defeat to Jorge Masvidal from UFC 239. It’s safe to say that the last few years haven’t been particularly smooth sailing for Ben Askren or his fanbase. He’s now 0-3 in his last three combat sports outings if you count his UFC and boxing run.
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What’s next for Ben Askren and Jake Paul?
For the most part, fans will probably expect to see the last of Ben Askren in the combat sports world. He has formally retired from MMA following a submission loss to Demian Maia, and won’t be returning to boxing soon. However, Askren has expressed his desire to continue leaving a peaceful retirement to engage in disc golf sessions and wrestling academy coaching.
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SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE – OCTOBER 26: Ben Askren stands in his corner prior to his welterweight bout against Demian Maia of Brazil during the UFC Fight Night event at Singapore Indoor Stadium on October 26, 2019 in Singapore. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
As for Jake Paul, he’s going to have a plethora of exciting match-ups in the works going forward. Following his emphatic win, Dillon Danis was quick to call out ‘The Problem Child’. Danis and Paul have been in talks to book a bout against each other and it’s possibly the next step for both men.
What’s more, Jake Paul has always been eyeing a match-up with Conor McGregor under the bright light of the ring. As it stands, McGregor is continuing on his path back to the UFC title, however, it’s certainly a possibility on the table. With a 3-0 record with three KOs, Jake Paul has undoubtedly piqued the interest of the combat sports world that received Askren’s apology.
