It looks like Ben Askren is close to his loss with Jake Paul.
For starters, the former Bellator and ONE Championship title holder said he stayed off social media on Sunday to avoid the glut of negative noise in response to his first-round TKO loss against the YouTube star in the Triller Fight headliner. Club event. However, Askren’s attitude isn’t necessarily an indication that he doesn’t care.
Askren, 36, who came out of retirement and had hip replacement surgery to fight Paul, is absolutely mad at himself. And he wants people to know that he didn’t take his boxing debut lightly.
“I’m disappointed. … I saw people didn’t think I was taking it seriously, and here’s the thing: when I went into the fight I said No. 1 for the money, No. 2, I think this is a might be a good time, “Askren said on Monday’s” Louder with Crowder “podcast. “I used to box for fun with my friends in high school. And I trained hard for 11 weeks. I didn’t miss a workout and it just didn’t go my way “
What really seems to bother Askren is the thought that the finish could have been avoided had he listened to the advice of cornermen Tyron Woodley and Mike Rhodes as the fight unfolded.
“We knew he had a good overhand right, and I’m a fool, and I didn’t block it,” Askren said. “My defense was a bit too loose. I heard my coaches, both Tyron and “Biggie,” say stop commenting on his fakes, and I didn’t, and I paid the price. “
Suffice to say, a devastating knockout just 1:59 into the fight was about as bad as Askren could have suffered after pre-fight trash over how easy it would be to beat up a YouTuber with just two professional attacks against non-fighters.
Askren still stands by his decision to fight at all.
“I think one of the things that really sets me apart from a lot of people is that I could have sat down on my couch very easily and said I don’t want to do that because there is a potential that will make me feel ashamed,” said Askren “That would be the only reason I didn’t do it. There’s no other valid reason, and I said I’m going to do it, so fuck it, (I did).”