Video | Ben Askren drops new sparring footage ahead of Jake Paul boxing match

Former UFC welterweight contender Ben Askren has shared some new sparring footage ahead of his boxing match with Jake Paul.

Askren, who previously held welterweight gold in Bellator and ONE Championship, will meet the YouTube star Paul in an eight-round pro boxing match on April 17.

As the fight draws ever closer, Askren is hard at work in the gym, sharpening up his hands.

In a Monday morning post to Twitter, Askren shared some footage of one of his recent sparring sessions. See it below:

Bens sparring is on point. But the question seems to be – slow motion or real time? Check out the vlog and you decide. On April 17th it’ll be nothing but real time and JP won’t be able to keep up.

Thanks @CoinFlipATM for sponsoring. https://t.co/WiJKohOeq2 pic.twitter.com/vrChi1ME9k

— Funky (@Benaskren) March 1, 2021

Despite his many impressive accomplishments in MMA, Askren is a wrestler first and foremost, and has never been known for his striking. As such, many fans feel he might be in over his head against Paul, who seems to be taking to The Sweet Science quite well.

According to Askren, however, Paul is in for a humiliating experience when they step into the ring together this April.

“I just sparred eight rounds, and I’ve got strength and conditioning later today,” Askren said in a recent social media post. “It felt great. The boxing stuff is starting to come together.

“I can’t promise you it’s going to be the prettiest thing you ever saw—although my face is pretty, my combat sports usually are not, they are unique, they are different—but here’s what I can tell you,” Askren added. “You will witness the humiliation of Jake Paul. You will witness one man breaking another man’s will. And that man, Jake Paul, will give up and be humiliated in front of millions of people, live on Triller, April 17.”

This will Askren’s first pro boxing match. Paul, meanwhile, is 2-0 as a pro boxer, with a win over a fellow YouTube star and a win over former NBA player Nate Robinson.

How do you think Ben Askren will perform when he steps into the ring with Jake Paul in April?