FORMER UFC middleweight Markus Perez insists Jake Paul isn’t a ‘real fighter’, claiming the YouTuber was ‘afraid’ of him during their sparring session.
The former Disney actor will lock horns with retired mixed martial artist Ben Askren in a boxing match in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Paul, who is 2-0 as a professional boxer, has been tipped by many to knock out the former UFC welterweight.
But Perez, who recently sparred with the social media star, reckons the 24-year-old will end up being stopped by Funky.
He told AG Fight: “To tell you the truth I had no idea who he [Paul] was, but when someone related to him offered me $300 (to train with him), I decided to accept.
“When I arrived at his house with my friend Alexandre Pantoja, I politely went to greet everyone.
“But when I went to shake hands, he gave me a closed fist. Then I looked at Pantoja and asked, ‘That was the guy I came to help?’
“He started the sparring going hard, and I hit him with a jab in the end of the first round and his nose started to bleed.
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“From that point on we started to fight.
“I called for him to beat me up and he was afraid, just circling and staying out of my range.
“Of course, he is able to box and has a good cross, but he is clearly not a fighter – just an adventurous (type).
“Askren is a real fighter. He will close the distance and beat him up around the body and liver, just like I did.
“A fight is always a fight, anything can happen, but I believe he will knock Paul out around the second or third round.”
The abrasive Paul has vowed to add 36-year-old Askren to his list of victims, saying: “These MMA guys think because they throw punches they know how to box.
“The world complained because I knocked out a basketball player and not a real fighter.
“So now I’m giving the people what they want by taking on a ‘real fighter.’
“After Ben Askren is added to my knockout meme collection, what can anybody say?
“This is why I’m confident in my ability to destroy this guy.
“They have no head movement, they’re slow, they aren’t going to the gym every day and boxing.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
