CM PUNK warned Ben Askren is being underestimated and tipped his former training partner to surprise Jake Paul.
The WWE legend shared the Roufusport gym with Askren while he trained for his two UFC fights, which he both lost.
Now his ex-sparring partner is preparing to fight YouTuber Paul, two years after he retired from the UFC himself.
Askren’s career as a renowned grappler and limited striker leaves him the betting underdog, despite his vast amount of fighting experience.
But CM Punk – real name Phil Brooks – agrees the ex-ONE Championship and Bellator champion is being overlooked.
He told TMZ Sports: “I think so, but I think it’s easy to do, based on it’s easy to sit on your couch and say that Ben isn’t a striker.
“But he’s a decelerated athlete at a very, very high level in two different sports.
“Mindset and mentally is a big thing when you’re fighting and Ben has that in spades.
“Is Ben gonna come out there and look like Muhammad Ali? No, probably not. But Ben knows what it takes to win a fight.
“The skillset in boxing is different, the rules are different, so he’s going to approach it to the best of his abilities so he can win that fight.
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“And I know a lot of people are counting him out but I don’t think people should be surprised if he wins.”
Paul comes into his third fight with two knockouts in as many wins since turning professional in January 2020.
But his wins have only comes against online rival ‘AnEsonGib’ and ex-NBA star Nate Robinson, 36.
Paul, 24, scaled 191lb (13st 6lb) like Askren, 36, but looked significantly leaner.
He said: “I don’t believe he makes it out of two rounds; look at the guy, he has a beer belly so he clearly didn’t take training camp seriously.
“We all did the talking and the entertainment s*** but now it’s time to let the fists fly.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
