Former MMA champion Ben Askren has apologised to the world after suffering a first-round knockout in his highly anticipated bout with 24-year-old YouTuber Jake Paul.
Key points:
- Paul sent the 36-year-old Olympic wrestler to the canvas about halfway into the first round
- The YouTuber, who appears to have embraced his role as a social media villain, was ecstatic with the win
- Paul’s antics in the lead-up to the fight saw many in the combat sports world gunning for an Askren win
Paul, in only his third professional fight, sent the 36-year-old Olympic wrestler to the canvas about halfway into the first round of the eight-round match.
“Sorry world,” Askren said on Twitter after the loss.
Paul, who appears to have embraced his role as a social media villain, was ecstatic with the win.
“It’s been four months. I’ve been in training camp every day,” Paul said after the fight.
“I deserved that … this is the craziest moment of my life.”
“I told y’all I was going to do it in the first round. I told y’all I’m a real fighter. I don’t know how many times I’ve got to prove myself this is for real.”
Loading
Meanwhile, Askren didn’t seem too troubled.
Clips posted to social media appear to show the veteran smiling as he walked from the fight in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
“I thought I was fine but you know whatever, that’s his job and that’s what he did,” Askren said of the referee who stopped the fight after he was knocked down.
“I’m going to take over a million dollars home to the bank and I’m going to coach wrestling.”
Loading
Paul is now 3-0 after knocking out former NBA Slam Dunk champion Nate Robinson in the undercard to a bout between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jnr in November.
He won his first fight, against fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib, by technical knockout earlier in 2020.
The pay-per-view dollars that the likes of Paul, and his more popular brother Jake, bring to the sport has led some to question its future.
Aside from the criticism of boxing purists, Paul seems to have set his sights pretty high.
“I truly believe that I will become the biggest prizefighter in the world and the highest-paid prizefighter in the world,” Paul said in an ESPN piece in January.
Through a tirade of abuse, he called out Irish MMA star Connor McGregor — who famously went the distance against the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr — for a professional fight. He also took aim at UFC boss Dana White.
The disrespectful video saw many in the combat sports world hope that Askren would come out on top when the pair met.
But Askren couldn’t go the distance.
“Dana White, where’s my money at?” rapper Snoop Dogg said after the fight, in reference to a $2 million bet the pair apparently made on the fight outcome.
Snoop Dogg was on hand as part of the night’s entertainment, along with musicians Justin Bieber, The Black Keys and Doja Cat.
Comedian Pete Davidson was also on hand to deliver some commentary on the fight.
“I think today proves the fact that if you have enough followers, you can truly f***ing do whatever you want.”