MMA

JAKE PAUL has been warned not to underestimate Ben Askren’s boxing ability with the YouTuber set for a dramatic step up in competition.
Paul is in talks to fight retired UFC welterweight Askren, who is renowned for his grappling and wrestling prowess, in March.

Jake Paul knocking out ex-NBA star Nate Robinson Credit: Getty Images – Getty

Ben Askren retired from the UFC in 2019 Credit: Getty – Contributor

The social media sensation is riding high following a brutal knockout of former NBA player Nate Robinson in November.
But ex-UFC champion Anthony Pettis, a friend and training partner of Askren’s, reckons Paul is in for a rude awakening when he shares the ring with a seasoned and experienced fighter.
Pettis, 33, told SunSport: “Once a guy who can actually take a punch, see blood and not be afraid – that’s a real fighter.
“A guy that can take damage and keep coming forward. Ben can do that. Ben is one of those guys that can get hit and hit you back.

“Look at Nate Robinson, it didn’t even look like he had a sparring session before that fight.
“Once he got hit you could see he wanted no part of it. That changes when you get in with a guy that accepts getting hit and hits you back.
“Once Jake Paul fights someone like that under the lights, when the pressure is on, that’s when we’ll see.”
Despite Askren’s career competing at the pinnacle of MMA, some bookmakers and experts – including Daniel Cormier – have tipped him to lose against Paul.

Ben Askren pictured with training partner Anthony Pettis

But Pettis – who has just signed for the Professional Fighters League – has urged viral star Paul and anyone else not to count out his team-mate’s underrated hands.
He said: “I definitely think he’s been underestimated.
“Ben’s strength is wrestling, his hands are only to get guys to the ground, to maintain that distance to get guys to the ground.
“We haven’t seen much of Ben’s hands so it makes sense for Jake Paul to call someone out like that instead of going for some of the big guns.
“But Ben’s an athlete, I’ve trained with him and I know how good he is.
“I’ve said I’d help Ben get ready for that fight. Ben’s here in Wisconsin and I’ve told him I’ve got sparring for him.
“I think he fought Damian Maia in his last fight and that’s a hard guy to showcase your skills against.
“Ben has great boxing, I even think Damian Maia has underrated boxing in mixed martial arts. His hands are very good.”

Ben Askren is renowned for his wrestling skills Credit: Getty Images – Getty

YouTuber Jake Paul is 2-0 as a pro boxer Credit: Getty Images – Getty

Former UFC champion Anthony Pettis plans a move into boxing
As well as offering to help Askren, 36, face Paul, 23, Pettis himself fancies a crack at the 2-0 boxing upstart.
But the new PFL arrival will not get lost in the queue of endless challengers wanting to fight the internet phenomenon.
Pettis does intend to take his skills to the boxing ring one day, and will welcome all comers.
He explained: “I’ve been so focussed on MMA that I haven’t looked at boxing for potential match-ups.
“But there’s so many big names in boxing. It would be my boxing debut, but I do have great hands, I spar with some of the best boxers out there.
“My kicking does take precendence over my boxing, I’ve used it my whole life, but I’d like to challenge myself in that arena, do some kind of a boxing exhibition.
“Something to make it exciting, something that would make me wake up in the morning and be motivated to train.”

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PAIGE VANZANT has promised ‘blood’ when she debuts with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
The former UFC star will make her brutal transition on February 5 as she faces Britain Hart in Florida.

Paige VanZant has promised ‘blood’ when she debuts with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship

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VanZant, 26, confirmed the fight on Instagram and wrote: “February 5th. There will be blood. @bareknucklefc link in bio.”
Hart, 30, has boxed 11 times as a professional, with a record of 4-4-3.
She made her BKBFC debut in 2018 but was beaten, since earning a losing record of 1-2.

BKBFC president David Feldman told MMAFighting: “Britain’s a real tough girl – she’s skilled, but she’s not the best technical boxer in the world
“Paige isn’t going to have to chase her down.
“It’s going to be competitive, but I think it’s going to be a good opponent choice for Paige on her first event.
“[Paige is] getting paid very well, and I don’t think we could have thrown her somebody that never fought bare-knuckle before, or at least someone that had a pretty well-established record.

“I don’t think the fans would have liked that. We’re going to give the fans what they want.”

VanZant will kick off her bare-knuckle career two days before the Super Bowl, which is currently scheduled for February 7 at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
As a result, the promotion are hoping to steal some attention from the NFL finale coverage before the fight.
VanZant signed for BKBFC after her UFC contract expired, as she walked away with an 8-5 MMA record.

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LOGAN PAUL has begged UFC president Dana White to stop confusing him with his younger brother Jake.
YouTube superstar Jake has been gunning for a boxing match with former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor, who he called out multiple times last month.

Logan Paul (R) has begged UFC president Dana White to stop mistaking him for his brother Jake (L)Credit: Instagram @loganpaul

UFC bigwig Dana White recently took aim at the Paul brothersCredit: The Mega Agency

Jake’s attempts to land a fight with The Notorious irked White, who recently accused the 23-year-old and his brother of creating a gimmick.
Logan is gutted to have been blasted by the UFC chief, saying on his podcast: “He [Jake] pissed off Dana White.
“Now Dana has grouped us together which sucks. I love Dana White, I love the UFC. Now Dana thinks we’re the same person. We’re so different.”
Logan, who is gearing up to box Floyd Mayweather next month, insists he’s a big fan of the UFC and admits he has ambitions of one day fighting in the promotion.

He added: “I love the UFC fights. I want to do a UFC fight one day. I’m not saying now, let me get my skills up.
“Dana, take me back. I’m not Jake! Please.
“Bro, he’s given me tickets to go to UFC fights before. F**k! F**k! I love Conor McGregor, dude.”
Logan may very well dream of competing in the UFC, but it’s unlikely White will ever let him set foot inside the cage.

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How Logan Paul and little brother Jake compare

White said of the Paul brothers: “Neither one of those guys can fight. It’s all a big gimmick.
“Like I said in a press conference, there’s a market for that.
“If people are dumb enough to spend their money watching that s**t, I don’t know what to tell you.
“Good luck to them. I care less what that guy (does). I get it. He’s trying to make some money and is doing his thing.
“There are people who want to spend money on that. I’m not that guy.”

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KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV was offered $100million to box Floyd Mayweather with Dana White ‘on board’, his manager revealed. Ali Abdelaziz – who has represented Khabib throughout his UFC career – opened up about the proposal as he challenged Mayweather to take the fight. Abdelaziz told TMZ Sports: “Listen, we got offered $100million to fight Floyd Mayweather. […] More

KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV was offered $100million to box Floyd Mayweather with Dana White ‘on board’, his manager revealed.
Ali Abdelaziz – who has represented Khabib throughout his UFC career – opened up about the proposal as he challenged Mayweather to take the fight.

Khabib was offered $100million to box Floyd MayweatherCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Floyd Mayweather after beating Tenshin Nasukawa in 2018 Credit: AFP

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Abdelaziz told TMZ Sports: “Listen, we got offered $100million to fight Floyd Mayweather.
“Dana White was on board, everybody was on board. But, you know, Khabib is an MMA fighter.
“If Floyd wanted to come to fight, get his little ass whooped, no problem.”

Mayweather, 43, retired as a professional in 2017 after beating former UFC champion Conor McGregor.
But it was after Nurmagomedov submitted Irishman McGregor a year later that he himself challenged the boxing legend to a fight in the ring.
Mayweather later returned for an exhibition bout against featherweight kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in Tokyo, which he won in one round.
He has continued to insist he will no longer take on boxing’s best but left the door open to facing McGregor or Nurmagomedov, who are both 32.

Khabib revealed in October – before he announced his UFC retirement – that he was constantly approached with offers to fight Mayweather.

He said to Yahoo! Sports: “Always, like every month people call me and they ask me, ‘You going to fight with Floyd Mayweather if we pay you $100m.
“It’s like crazy. I want to be focussed on Justin Gaethje, please.
“Every month, some people from Saudi Arabia, from Emirates, from a lot of countries, like always try to make contract with me.”
Nurmagomedov explained that he would decline the proposal to instead stay loyal to the UFC, who prohibit fighting outside of their promotion.
But after he made the shock decision to hang up his MMA gloves, it could pave the way for the 29-0 Russian to cross over to boxing.
Meanwhile, Mayweather is set to face YouTuber Logan Paul in February, in what has been billed a ‘special exhibition fight’.

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FORMER UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis is open to boxing Jake Paul.
Paul – the younger brother of fellow YouTuber Logan – has called out several MMA fighters following his emphatic KO of Nate Robinson last November.

Jake Paul knocked out former NBA star Nate Robinson last NovemberCredit: PA

Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis is open to boxing Jake PaulCredit: Getty Images

And Pettis, who recently signed with the Professional Fighters League, says he’s open to being the 23-year-old’s next opponent.
When asked if he’d be interested in fighting the younger Paul brother, the UFC’s former 155lb champ told TMZ: “Bro, I would love to box.
“I haven’t boxed yet, so I’m 0-0. Boxing is something I grew up watching my whole life.
“That’s why I got into fighting, honestly. Watching [Julio Cesar] Chavez, [Oscar] De La Hoya, [Floyd] Mayweather, all these guys up and coming.”

Pettis, also known as Showtime, was impressed by Paul’s demolition of Robinson, adding: “He looked good against another professional athlete.
“Nate didn’t look like he should’ve been in there, honestly. I’m like, ‘Yo, did he get any sparring sessions in? Did anybody not, like, show him how to throw and get in a good stance?’
“It was like he was just running at him. But, man, I respect him for getting in that ring, bro.”

How Logan Paul and little brother Jake compare

Paul’s annihilation of Robinson was his second stoppage victory in as many fights, the first of which came against fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib last January.

Pettis has been impressed by the improvements Paul has made since his pro debut, saying: “I think he’s definitely getting better.
“He prepared for a boxing match. You could tell he was in boxing shape, he was in a stance at least.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how far he can go with it. He’s definitely an athlete. Both of them brothers. They’re definitely in good shape and they stay in good shape.
“So it’s not like they’re some couch potatoes jumping in [there] against professional athletes. They definitely train the part.”

Regardless of whether he manages to get his hands on Paul, Pettis is eager to test himself in the squared circle.
He said: “I’m only 33, and I’ve been doing this MMA thing for so long. 12 years with Zuffa.
“So as a pro, I think I’ve been like 14 years. It’s a crazy life I live. I’d love to go in there and try something new.”
Paul currently has set his sights on a blockbuster showdown with former two-division UFC champ Conor McGregor, who he called out repeatedly last December.
But former UFC welterweight Ben Askren looks set to be the YouTube star’s next opponent after accepting his call-out.

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