ATLANTA – Ben Askren’s boxing match with Jake Paul couldn’t have gone worse than it did for the former Bellator and ONE Championship titleholder.
Askren was disappointed Saturday night, to say the least, after his fight ended in shambles when he suffered a first-round TKO loss to the YouTube star in the Triller Fight Club headliner at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
It was a one-sided bout, as Paul landed a bomb of a punch that dropped Askren. He got back up but could not intelligently answer the referee, forcing him to wave it off.
Askren participated in a virtual media session after the contest and expressed shame in the outcome.
“I didn’t let the MMA community down, I let the world down,” Askren told reporters post-fight. “People f*cking hate Jake Paul, and they wanted me to make him miserable.”
Sorry world :(
— Funky (@Benaskren) April 18, 2021
Askren, 36, came out of retirement to fight Paul after having hip replacement surgery. Askren, a former Olympic wrestler and two-time collegiate national champion, never was known for his striking during his MMA career.
It showed Saturday night against Paul, 24, who moved his professional record to 3-0.
