‘I Didn’t Let the MMA Community Down, I Let the World Down’- Ben Askren Releases Statement After Jake Paul Loss
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 02: Ben Askren celebrates his submission victory over Robbie Lawler in their welterweight bout during the UFC 235 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 2, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
The fight between Jake Paul and Ben Askren was supposed to be one of the grandest events of the year. They built the fight up in such a way that eventually; it was touted as a fight between MMA and boxing. However, the fight was a short one as Paul knocked Askren out in the first round itself.
After the fight, ‘Funky’ was talking about whether he believes he let the MMA community down. He also talked about whether he deserves any criticism that might come his way. Askren said, “It’s probably deserved Because I got knocked out by Jake Paul. It’s f*king embarrassing.
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“I didn’t let the MMA community down; I let the world down. People f*cking hate Jake Paul and they wanted to see me make him miserable, and I didn’t do that. So I didn’t let the MMA community down, I let the world down.”
The former Olympian was competing after a long time. He had been retired since his loss to Demian Maia at UFC Fight Night on October 26, 2019. The fighter made a comeback for this fight but couldn’t last long. Paul knocked him out inside the first two minutes, and even though he got back up before the 10 counts, he was not allowed to continue.
Ben Askren talks about the fight
Even before going into the match, ‘Funky’ was clear that this fight would not affect him- his life would continue in the same manner. However, Askren would not have thought that Jake would defeat him inside the first two minutes itself. Askren talks about what he thinks went wrong.
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 17: Jake Paul and Ben Askren face off in their cruiserweight bout during Triller Fight Club at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on April 17, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for Triller)
“I heard my coach Mike he was saying I was definitely overreacting to his feints, and that was the beginning of the end, I probably shouldn’t have reacted that hard to the feints.
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“If that ref would have let me grapple a little longer, maybe that would have helped out a little bit, but at the end of the day, no excuses. I got in a f*cking boxing match and it didn’t go so well.”
The fight between Askren and Paul might not have lasted long, but the entertainment it provided was exceptional. For Askren, it does not seem the loss has affected him, anyway.
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The former UFC fighter has no intention of returning to the boxing ring or to make an MMA comeback. This was probably the last time we saw ‘Funky’ compete in combat sports.
What do you think- will Ben Askren return for one more match?
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