Michael Chandler shares his thoughts on Ben Askren Vs. Jake Paul, and sees Askren as a more compact fighter in comparison to Paul.
Former UFC fighter Ben Askren is ready to step inside the ring again. The 36-year-old is set to make his debut in the Boxing square and will face the controversial YouTube personality Jake Paul on April 17.
In the backdrop of Jake Paul’s recent rise in popularity, the fight will get a sizeable hype and both fighters will benefit monetarily. However, for MMA enthusiasts, it is apparently much more than a promotional fight and many perceive it as a contest in which the MMA fraternity’s goodwill will be at stake and the onus would be on Askren to save the pride.
Although, Ben Askren holds more than 12 years of experience in the Combat circuit, yet the pre-match odds showcase Askren as the underdog. Many analysts and even the president of Bellator MMA-In which Ben Performed for 4 years and was even the Welterweight champion- Scott Coker has given Jake Paul the favorite’s tag.
While the odds and opinions are against him, the former Bellator Lightweight champion and the latest big thing in UFC, Michael Chandler has come out to share his thoughts on Ben Askren Vs. Jake Paul.
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Michael Chandler backs Ben Askren to bring the goods against Jake Paul
The iron recently appeared on “The Jim Rome Show.” and talked about various subjects. The 34-year-old spoke about his ideal debut against Dan Hooker at UFC 257, uttered few words on Conor McGregor’s loss, and also gave his take on Ben Askren’s boxing debut against Jake Paul.
The fighter seemingly has the same trajectory as Ben Askren once had, and makes it known that the former Bellator Welterweight champion is dear to him.
“I think it’s a great idea, No. 1,” Chandler said .“No. 2, Ben Askren is one of the most remarkable human beings in the entire planet. Everybody sees the big ‘fro and the loud voice, just attitude, but Ben is one of the most giving and full-of-humility men I’ve ever met in my entire life. He’s one of the reasons I got into mixed martial arts. He’s a heck of a competitor. The funny thing is, it doesn’t surprise me. If you know Ben well enough, nothing should ever surprise you.
“The man is a wild card; he marches to the beat of his own drum. Now, what I will say about the actual matchup, Jake Paul is not a great boxer. Ben Askren is not a great boxer. Ben Askren, quite frankly, the weakest of his attributes is his ability to strike on the feet. But I think, depending on the referee, depending on the ruleset, depending on how the promotion is set up, Ben is going to be able to get his hands on Jake, do some dirty boxing, some underhooks, some pushing, some pulling.”
I think he finishes Jake Paul later in the fight
“We’re going to see, and I think Ben may be penalized for it,” Chandler said. “Ben may be pulled off of him, maybe broken up a lot, but you’re going to see Ben close the distance, Ben get his hands on him. You’re going to see Ben wear out Jake Paul because there’s a difference between boxing at distance and throwing punches and having a guy in your face, putting pressure on you, pushing you back up against the ropes. You’ve got to remember, yes it’s boxing, but Ben knows how to move, maneuver and manipulate another human body, his opponent, with his hands.”
“So it’s going to be very interesting to watch the dirty boxing, watch the clinch game, and also watch Ben’s toughness. We saw Ben get knocked out cold, but listen, King Kong himself would have gotten knocked out by that Jorge Masvidal knee. Ben traditionally has a phenomenal chin, a great chin, and the wherewithal to be able to push Jake Paul around the boxing ring for eight three-minute rounds. Mark my words, I think he finishes Jake Paul later in the fight.”
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