After Jake Paul finished Ben Askren inside the first round at Triller Fight Club on Saturday, the callouts poured in.
Ranging from celebrities to former fighters, the target on Paul’s back was evident. Perhaps the most notable MMA name to voice their desire to punch Paul in the face, however, was UFC Hall of Famer B.J. Penn.
“Hey @triller send me a contract and I will happily knock this f*cker out in one round,” Penn tweeted.
Penn, 42, has not fought in mixed martial arts since May 2019. He was released from the UFC after a video of him street fighting surfaced later that year. In the video, Penn was rocked and dropped by another man. A second video showed him on the offensive, however, as he pummeled the man on the ground. Penn exited the promotion on a seven-fight losing skid.
Meanwhile, Paul has won all three of his boxing fights against non-boxing celebrities. First, he defeated YouTuber Ali Eson Gib by first-round TKO. In his sophomore outing, Paul faceplanted former NBA star Nate Robinson in Round 2. The vicious knockout went viral.
Paul’s TKO of Askren on Saturday was the quickest finish of his professional boxing career. It took Paul only 1:59.
Hey @triller send me a contract and I will happily knock this fucker out in one round 💯 https://t.co/JSP5lNh9xh
— bjpenndotcom (@bjpenndotcom) April 18, 2021
In 2012, legendary boxing coach Freddie Roach deemed Penn one of mixed martial arts’ best boxers. In 32 professional MMA fights, Penn accumulated seven wins by knockout or TKO. He has never boxed professionally.
Triller Fight Club took place Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The card streamed on pay-per-view.
