Mixed martial arts legend Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson has given his thoughts on the upcoming Jake Paul and Ben Askren fight, and believes the YouTuber has the knockout power to take down his former UFC alum.
YouTubers have been stepping into the boxing ring for years in order to settle their beefs, but, the Paul brothers have gone above and beyond.
The pair of them have had professional bouts, with Jake Paul moving away from fighting fellow content creators and focusing on actual athletes.
He delivered a knockout against former NBA journeyman Nate Robinson that was meme’d around the world, and now he’s preparing to fight former UFC fighter Ben Askren.
Plenty of predictions have been made about the fight, with Joe Rogan backing Paul and UFC boss Dana White betting $1 million on Askren. Now, UFC icon Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson has given his take on things and while he believes it’s an entertaining prospect, he thinks Paul is dangerous in the ring.
“When Jake Paul and Ben Askren fight I think it’s gonna be a great fight. I think Jake is gonna give it to him,” the former UFC champion told Dexerto. “I feel like he’s more crisper on the fight, even though he’s never been a champion. He’s displayed he has knockout power. I’m looking forward to the fight, I’m excited about it.”
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Like many, Mighty Mouse noted that getting people like the Paul’s involvement in boxing is a good thing, given how many eyes it puts on the sport. “At the end of the day, you know, he’s probably selling more PPVs than some of the champions around the world. At the end of the day, it’s good for the sport,” he said.
Touching further on Askren’s involvement, the Flyweight superstar said it’s a “fun fight” for him to get involved with and make some money from as he only has to focus on striking, not multiple disciplines.
“He’s just got done being retired, he had a shot at the UFC. S**t, why not box? Why not box a YouTube star. He’s displayed he can be dangerous, but he’s not going to have to worry about a flying knee to his face,” he said.
While plenty are backing Paul, the final result will come in the ring on April 17, and it remains to be seen if he’ll live up to the pre-fight predictions.