After Jake Paul Ben Askren finished in the first round at Triller Fight Club on Saturday, the callouts poured in.
Ranging from celebrities to former hunters, the target on Paul’s back was clear. Perhaps the most notable MMA name to express their desire to punch Paul in the face was UFC Hall of Famer BJ Penn.
“Hey @triller send me a contract and I’ll happily take this bastard out in one round,” tweeted Penn.
Penn, 42, has not fought in mixed martial arts since May 2019. He was released from the UFC after a video of him surfacing on street fights later that year. In the video, Penn was startled and dropped by another man. However, a second video showed him on the offensive, knocking the man to the ground. Penn left the promotion on a losing slip of seven fights.
Meanwhile, Paul has won all three of his boxing fights against non-boxing celebrities. First, he defeated YouTuber Ali Eson Gib by TKO in the first round. In his second outing, Paul planted former NBA star Nate Robinson in Round 2. The vicious knockout went viral.
Paul’s TKO from Askren on Saturday was the fastest end of his professional boxing career. It only cost Paul 1:59.
Hey @Triller send me a contract and i will happily knock this bastard out in one round 💯 https://t.co/JSP5lNh9xh
– bjpenndotcom (@bjpenndotcom) April 18, 2021
In 2012, legendary boxing coach Freddie Roach considered Penn as one of mixed martial arts’ top boxers. In 32 professional MMA fights, Penn had seven wins by knockout or TKO. He has never boxed professionally.
Triller Fight Club took place Saturday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The map was streamed on pay per view.