Jake Paul’s next professional boxing fight will be against former UFC fighter Ben Askren, it has been confirmed.
Paul will fight Askren in an eight-round bout on April 17 as part of a deal with Triller.
The pay-per-view event does not yet have a confirmed venue, and other details such as the undercard will be announced over the course of the next few weeks.
Triller founder Ryan Kavanaugh told ESPN that the fight will take place with ten-ounce gloves in a 20 x 20 ring, and will be Askren’s first boxing fight.
"I know Jake Paul is enjoying pretending he is a fighter," Askren said of his opponent.
"I think on April 17 he is going to have a rude awakening to what being a fighter is really like. Jake has led a privileged life and doesn't really know what the meaning of being a fighter is. I'm going to put his dreams to an end."
Paul, 24, already has two boxing victories to his name. The first came against YouTube celebrity AnEsonGib in January last year, and he won his second fight in November by knocking out former NBA athlete Nate Robinson.
"Ben Askren is a two-time NCAA champion, a world champion in two different global mixed martial arts organizations and has less losses on his record than Conor McGregor," Paul said.
Askren retired from MMA last year after requiring a hip replacement, a process that the 36-year-old fighter has now recovered from. He last fought against Demian Maia in October 2019, losing via submission.
Paul continued: "Me, on the other hand, I started boxing two years ago and I'm still going to knock his ass out faster than [Jorge] Masvidal. These MMA guys think because they throw punches they know how to box. The world complained because I knocked out a basketball player and not a real fighter.
“So now I'm giving the people what they want by taking on a 'real fighter.' After Ben Askren is added to my knockout meme collection, what can anybody say? Thank you to Triller Fight Club for giving me the platform to once again put a man to sleep. April 17, it's lights out for Askren."