MMA Fighting - MMA Fighters Make Their Predictions for Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren

Episode Date: April 14, 2021

Before Jake Paul and Ben Askren clash this weekend, Daniel Cormier, Aljamain Sterling, Miesha Tate, Stephen Thompson, Anthony Pettis and many more offer their picks, predictions and expectations for the upcoming boxing match. Subscribe: http://goo.gl/dYpsgH Check out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLi Visit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvM Like MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z Follow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUI Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network. I'm scared for Ben, man. I'm scared. Ben said the other day, what are all these people doing at my fight, right? All these celebrities? Like, no, Ben, you're the odd guy out, right? Like, you're the old dude with the hip replacement.

These are all the cool people from Hollywood. You know, we're playing to these people. Man, I don't know. Ben's my guy. I love Ben. In a free fight, he beats Jake Paul every day. I don't know if he beats... Ben lost to Damien Maia in boxing.

We've never seen Damien. I'll box anybody in his whole entire career. And we've watched him fight for 12 years, or 15 years maybe. So it's very worrisome for me. But I'm rude and Ben Ascran. Because Ben Ascran may not have chosen him, but Ben Ascren's our representative into that world. So go kick his ass, Ben.

I hope that Ben Asking goes out there. I know it's boxing, but picks him up and slams him, gets disqualified, and looks at him and says, that's real fighting. You know what I'm saying? Just go that and just, I think Ben Asking could have a chance to win, though. If he goes out there, I think Paul, Jake Paul, he's going to go out there guns blazing. And we all know Ben can take a punch.

He's tough. I think he can weather the storm and just lay on him and mean mug him and dirty boxing and tire him out and win the fight. That would be nuts. Ben Askin winning a boxing match. Have you seen a guy hit a bag? Yeah. The Rocky videos are tremendous, though. Oh, my gosh. That's funny. He cracks me up. It's what's funny was the press conference was hilarious. And where he just leaned back and touched Jake's face and Jake gave a little pity pat to the body. I'm like, what is that?

What was that? Were you trying to hit him? What was that? Fuck, dude. Like, what's going to happen? I mean, you can say Jake Paul's like this YouTuber or this, that's that. Like, yeah, that's all very true. And Ben Ascran's that wrestler. Like, they all very true. true things. But like Jake Paul has shown that he can, he has power behind his punch, and Ben Ascreen can't rely on his wrestling in this fight. So what's going to happen? You can have the fighter kid who can't use

his best, or the route to his winnings, to his past winnings. He can't use that in this fight. And you have Jake Paul who's never really actually fought a real fighter. Ben Ascran's a real I don't fucking know. I have to watch it. I'm so mad about

it, too. I'm embarrassed. about it that I'm going to be watching it, but I am going to be watching it. Did it break your heart? Did it break your heart watching Jake Paul knockout former Boston Celtic, Nate Robinson? I mean, he was always there for a brief run, right? There was a cup of coffee. Yeah, it was, it was in and out. I don't fucking, I don't, what the fuck was he doing in there, dude?

I don't know. You know what I mean? Like, what's going on? We got the YouTube kid selling out shows in fucking Atlanta, Georgia. Now we have a concert with, you know, going on in, like, intermission. Like, what is going? And he's doing it right. You can talk shit about him, but I can tell you one thing.

He has more money in his bank account than I do. And me. Definitely me. Probably together. Who are you picking? Got to make a pick. I'm handing you 50 bucks right now to place on one of these guys. All right, take the 50 bucks back if you don't bet it.

You bet in Ben or you're betting Jake? Jake Paul. Yeah? Yeah. Knockout? Yeah. What happens? What happens if it gets past like the fourth round?

Are you, are you starting to get nervous on your pick? Not getting nervous on my pick, but my, if I'm 100% certain that, I'm not 100% certain, but if I'm 100% certain that Jake Paul is going to knock Ben Asking out, that's before the halfway point of the match. And the latter part of the match,

I would say closer to like maybe 70%, 65%, because Ben Aspen is like that, he's a wet blanket, right? So, I mean, you can probably anticipate him because trying to hang on Jake Paul's neck as often as he can, right? So if he does that, how long, how good is Jake Paul's conditioning? Ben Asker knows what it's like to be under the lights. Ben Asker knows what it's like to, you know, have to hang on somebody and come and being a dog fight. Does Jake Paul know that?

So it's just a toss-up. But we're talking about like, you know, eight-ounce gloves or 10-ounce gloves. And Jake Paul is not like a small guy. He's a pretty big guy. I don't know, dude. It's kind of concerning. It might make the MM community look pretty bad. Ben's dropped some guys too, though, in his past.

I know he's not like the most beautiful striker. He's not Ali, no doubt about it, but he has dropped. He has dropped guys before. Mike Heck. Is he dropping people with a straight up stance and a one, two, down the plate? Or is he threatening takedowns for three minutes and then throwing an all right hand to drop someone? I knew I was in trouble when you used my full name, Randy. Yeah.

Come on, Mike. I know Dana bet a lot of money on Ben Ascran, but I mean, that's spinning backfist was something of something beautiful in that fight with Damian Myers. So I don't know. I think size plays an advantage. You know, he might not be the most talented guy in terms of his credentials. But I think Jake Paul should win. I know Asking is tough, but he just got his hip replace. I don't know.

Asking, I love you. But obviously, he's not a boxer. He's a grappler, you know. So I think it's Jake fights as Paul. Jake pulls his fight to lose. That's a fun fight to watch for sure, but I'm not, if someone has it on and it's there,

I'm going there and watching it. Other than that, man, I'm just going to do my own thing and then read about it on Twitter and now everyone says it and see the highlights. I mean, to be honest,

the real winners are Ben Askron and Jake Paul. They're going to get paid. They're going to go out there. And whoever wins the fight, it really doesn't justify any means, you know like if ben wins like it just it shuts up everyone that hates ben and it shuts up everyone that likes jake paul and if you go vice versa it's the same thing like it doesn't mean like one of them's getting a title they're not you're fighting uh you're fighting a guy that's retired and that's done

mma and you're an up-and-coming boxer like you have good amateur boxing skills i would even say that it's a stretch but you're not fighting boxers you're fighting celebrities it's a celebrity boxing match and it's it's cool but I like boxing fights you know I like real fighting I like these guys that you know have put hours and hours and countless hours and competed against

ridiculous you know ridiculous competition where you're just like holy shit like I would love I'd rather go watch Crawford fight. I'd pay $200 a pay per view to watch Crawford fight again. Eroll Spence, let's put, if we could see Crawford and Eroll Spence, I'd spend $300 on a pay per view. And I just don't want to pay $20 or however much it is to see Ben and him fight. I support Ben. I like Ben and I hope Ben wins. I think he can do well. Ben's an athlete. Ben's one of them guys that is very competitive.

They've, until the UFC, you know, he was unstoppable. Obviously, he used wrestling to be in that position, but I feel like he'll take that same, that same grit and that same drive. And he's not afraid to hit in the face. He gets in the face. He's not like, you know, the first opponent that this guy fought that was never going to hit before. Like, Ben, he's going to have to, like, actually hurt Ben to finish Ben. So I don't see that.

Yeah, I wouldn't say he's going to be like, you want to have the sweet signs down, and I don't have, like, the head movement. And I wouldn't say he's like, come put a clinic on him. But I think he just says that, let us. His determination, his spirit alone, you know, just his worth ethic, too. You know, I know when he, like, puts his mind something, you know, he's 100% on it. And, uh, no, I think, uh, Jake hasn't fought somebody that's an athlete like, like Ben, you know, I don't know, like, uh, like how, well, obviously I've seen Jake's, you know, his skills

his last fight, but he was, it wasn't against a fighter. So it's hard to tell, you know, it's a guy that's running and jumping and hugging. Um, so I don't even know where Jake's skill set is, but I feel like Ben, um, just, just as athleticism, and determination it's going to do. We were just talking about it. I was with my boxing coach and we're driving back to the home to Wilmington now to leave tomorrow. One of the things I said was like,

Ascran's going to win this, right? I'm like, I certainly hope so, but I think because he, like we told him out, he's got the Olympic pedigree. He's a competitor and he has trained and fought with some of the best strikers in the world. So I'd like to think he'll tire him out and get it done by a decision.

I really, really hope. Look, I've been saying all along, I think Ben Ascran. I know that's the, probably the unpopular pick, but myself being a wrestler, look, we have different objectives when we go into MMA fights against people who we know we're going to try to just strike, but when you just strike inside the gym, the striking is a lot better than what you're probably ever, or we will have ever got to see from Ben Ascran in a fight, because he's always going to probably be looking

to take the guy down being such a phenomenal wrestler. I think the core strength a lot of times that wrestlers have, I mean, and he's going to be weird, right? He's going to be an actual athlete, a real serious guy who's been in there and trained with a lot of the very best strikers. If you think he's not used to having really, really high-level boxers and strikers throwing punches at him, I think again. I mean, this man has made a career out of not getting hit, and I think he'll do that. And I think, I bet you he's going to go into that, and he's probably going to clinch and wear on Jake at first. I mean, if I was a wrestler coming into that fight, right, I'd be looking at, like, doing a little bit of the dirty boxing.

And even just when you can pull on him for a little bit before the ref, where he separates, he's going to pull him, then he's probably going to look to open up and just throw heavy, heavy punches. And I don't know, I think Ben can get it done. You know, Ben does have a lot of pressure on his shoulders. And, you know, and the crazy part is, I mean, hey, Jake Paul, I don't have anything against him. I know a lot of people don't like him as far as a YouTube star coming in boxing, but I'm like, hey, look, he garners the attention so that's what validates that he's in that ring and he takes it serious it it isn't like this guy's not training if he was out partying and drinking and treated this like a

you know a joke and he was basically making a you know a masquerade of what i love combat sports then absolutely i'd be pitchfork and flames with shoulder to shoulder with everybody else but the kid trains. He's focused and he's trying to be part of boxer. And so I have nothing but love for that. I'm like, that's what I want everybody to do. I want everybody to be able to enjoy martial arts and train at different levels,

whether it's competing or not, but I think it makes everybody a better human being. But he doesn't. The guy, kids in shape. He's trying to improve his skill level. You know, I mean, there's a reason why some people are worried for asking because this kid is actually putting in the work. So I have a lot of respect for him for that.

The fact that his avenue in was that he was a YouTube star. Well, hey, man, all the more power to him that he found a way to be popular and make money. And, you know, I think a lot of people just hate him because they wish they could have done that. You know what I mean? Like, you know, the guys would be like, man, I wish I could just make videos and become a millionaire. He did. He pulled it off. And so, and on top of that, it brings a lot of this, a lot of young kids right now at home,

who especially because of what just happened with COVID, already they were sitting playing too many video games. you know, watching too much TV. You know, we have an obesity problem in this, you know, in this country already as it is. And now we just took a year off where kids weren't allowed to go to school and homeschooling and zooming and whatnot. And that was a complete, you know, travesty, you know, kids just most children don't do well into those circumstances. And if they're fans of Jake Paul and they're watching him go out there who doesn't need the money, he's already set for life, go out there and put it on the line and dedicate himself to something that is hard, hard like, you know, combat sports are.

I think he's going to inspire a lot of the younger generation. And how is that a bad thing? So you're what, you're going to be a bunch of kids signing up with boxing gyms and wrestling and MMA? Hey, man, that's a win. If someone handed you money to bet, you're putting it on Jake Paul. Yeah, yeah. Why? Well, let's all be honest.

Ben Askin, I think he will talk about it. Ben Asking hasn't been the best striker in a mixed martial arts. Do I think he'll be the best striker in boxing? I would say I don't think it's going to happen. When I look at how well, you know, Jake Paul moves, he actually has some rhythm to his movement. I think Ben Asking, he's been a war champion mixed martial arts because he can grind on somebody, he can wrestle,

he can take people out of their element. But when it's boxing and you're in that way, element, it's very hard to get somebody out of their element. Yes, he's going to smothering him. He's going to do his dirty box and whatever. But yes, I know Jake Paul is a YouTube star, but he's training just as hard as any a world champion is, right? He has he has unlimited access to the best trainers in the world. He has the funding. Not saying, not saying Ben Asking doesn't, but anytime you fight somebody who's who has, training, some former training, there's always that chance.

I'm not discounting Ben Asking out of this fight. Ben Asking could absolutely win his fight. But if somebody came to me and said, Demi Johnson, here's a million dollars. Who are you going to bet your money on? You have to fucking bet. Here's a million dollars. You have to bet. If you don't bet, I'm taking a million dollars away from you.

I'm like, well, fuck, I'm throwing on Jake Paul. I think he's going to win the fight. I mean, if I don't bet, I'm going to lose it anyway. So I'm going to go ahead, bet on Jake Paul. And then I want, I want Ben Asking him win. I mean, I hope he wins, right? because he comes from my line of sport, a wrestler, taking on a YouTube star.

But, you know, when I look at it and I'm like, dude, like, Jake Paul actually has knockout power. Like, Ben Asking, you've been knocked out before, so it's not like he can't happen again. And Ben Asking still goes out there and gets knocked out and get the bricks beat off him. I'm going to treat him the same way as if he won that fight, right? I think Ben Asking is an amazing human being. He's very creative. He's hilarious. I'm a big fan of his Twitter feed

and how he just goes on there and talks so much, so much stuff. So yeah, I think he's going to go out there, give it a hell of a time. And he's going to be, and like I said, if he goes out there and wins, I wouldn't be, I'll be, I'm not going to, I'm actually going to be spot to go to him and win.

But I'm happy he still has the ability to go out and do this, right? He's going to go out there and make some good money. And everybody who's going to make fun of him, he's going to be going to cash and check probably Monday, Monday morning. and Danny Casillo, right? I never forget.

Everybody booed him, I think it was somewhere. And he goes, you're going to boo me? You know what? That's okay. When I'm driving to the bank, Monday morning to cash my check, you fuckers will all be at work working. And I was like, you're such a gangster for saying. And he goes, it's the truth. He goes, I'm not here fighting my ass off and they're booing me.

And I'm like, no, you're right. You're right. So that's always a good way to look at it, right? I mean, I'll probably take that saying that, that he said to the grave. You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network.