In a podcast with Mike Tyson, UFC President Dana White has said that he will bet a million dollar for Paul to lose. He thinks that Paul is not a fighter and that Askren has a better resume. Although Boxing Legend, Zab Judah disagreed saying that he saw Paul’s hands and thinks that he can throw.
Ben Askren is a retired UFC fighter and although he his UFC career did not work well, he was still a highly decorated wrestler. Prior to joining the UFC, Askren was an undefeated champion in two major MMA organizations namely, ONE FC and Bellator.
From White’s point of view, Askren has faced real tough fighters who have fought all their lives, so his experience alone could be enough to win the fight. Askren has survived one of the hardest hitters in the division which was Robbie Lawler. The question would be Askren is coming off a hip replacement, which might factor in his performance.
Another reason White is betting against Paul might be because both had exchanged twitter words before. The feud started when Paul wanted to face McGregor but White saying it will NEVER happen, to which Paul took offense to it. Dana White even suggested that he could let Amanda Nunes face Paul instead.
For Zab Judah, he thinks Jake Paul is a great fighter that can throw a punch. For those who do not know, Judah was a great boxer in his prime where he even gave Floyd Mayweather a little bit of trouble during their fight. So his credentials as a boxer is as legit as they come.
Also the fight is not MMA or even wrestling, both are competing at boxing where Jake Paul has 2 professional fights and won both of them. Askren is really not known for his striking as well so it might be reasonable for him to be the underdog.
After the podcast, Jake Paul posted a video about his reaction to Dana White’s bet. Paul is more pumped for the fight which makes the fans more excited about the news.
Of course the bet makes it more interesting and that at the end of the day it sells the fight. Will Askren’s experience be able to handle Jake Paul’s boxing or is Jake Paul just a really good boxer?
