BEN ASKREN expects Jake Paul to gas out after he takes him deep into the trenches in their boxing match.
The former UFC welterweight will throw down with the YouTuber at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Atlanta in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Ex-Disney actor Paul goes into his clash with the Olympic wrestler as a huge favourite, despite only having two fights to his name.
But Askren believes the 24-year-old will tire himself out due to a lack of experience.
When the possibility of Paul gassing out was put to him during a Reddit AMA, Askren said: “Yes.”
Funky was then asked how he expects Paul to handle the loss and simply replied: “Cry.”
Askren, 36, believes he’ll stop Paul, telling ESPN: “TKO [in] round seven.”
He added: “Because I don’t have a huge amount of power. It’ll take me some time to wear him down and make him hate his life.
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“And then eventually he’s gonna say, ‘Hey look, I’m a rich celebrity.
“I don’t need to get f–king punched anymore. I’m just gonna roll over.'”
Askren’s prediction amused Paul, who reckons the former Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight king won’t lay a glove on him.
He told ESPN: “Go Google Ben Askren’s striking. Hahaha.
“It’s not going to go that long, it’s not going to go that long.
“I don’t even think he’ll hit me. I haven’t been hit one time in the face in my past two fights.
“So I haven’t even been punched as pro boxer one time. Nate Robinson landed one body shot in a clinch.
“I don’t think Ben Askren will even hit me. That’s my prediction.”
The social media star is confident of adding Askren’s name to his victim list, 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
