Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren Betting Odds and Prediction

YouTube star turned professional boxer Jake Paul faces former MMA welterweight champion Ben Askren in a boxing match from Atlanta on Saturday night. Askren a -133 favourite to win on the boxing odds, while Paul is at +100 and a draw sits at +1200.

Paul vs. Askren Boxing Odds

There is a very good UFC Fight Night card on Saturday night from Las Vegas featuring a middleweight bout between contenders Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum, but that is going to be dwarfed in terms of media attention, etc., by the Paul vs. Askren cruiserweight sideshow. There also apparently will be music performances beforehand from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta by the likes of Justin Bieber and Snoop Dogg. The fight is scheduled for eight rounds.

This writer has never seen a thing 24-year-old Jake Paul has ever done, but, hey, good for him for becoming wealthy simply by performing on YouTube and creating his own brand. The 6-foot-1 American made his professional boxing debut in January 2020 and beat fellow YouTube personality Ali Eson Gib by Round 1 TKO in Miami.

Remember when Mike Tyson returned to the ring for an exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr. last November? Paul faced off against former NBA player and Slam Dunk champion Nate Robinson on the undercard in Los Angeles and beat Robinson by second-round knockout. Paul had knocked down Robinson twice before finally finishing him.

The 36-year-old Askren, also an American, is 19-2 in his MMA career and a former Bellator and One Championship welterweight champ. Askren lost his final two bouts in the Octagon, both in the UFC and both in 2019 to Jorge Masvidal and Demian Maia – two excellent fighters. The 5-foot-10 Askren needed hip surgery after the Maia loss and retired from MMA fighting.

“I’m going to make a whole bunch of money to beat up a guy who is pretending to be an athlete,” Askren said. “I’m a world-class athlete – I’ve won NCAA titles, I’ve been to the Olympics, won belts in multiple mixed martial arts organizations. Quite frankly, I’m impressed that you (Paul) have deluded yourself into thinking you are actually a fighter.”

Askren did win a pair of NCAA titles in wrestling at the University of Missouri, but that won’t help him in a boxing match and he has no pro boxing experience. Six of Askren’s 19 MMA wins were by submission, six by KO/TKO and seven by decision. One loss was by KO/TKO and one by submission.

UFC president Dana White has said he would bet $1 million (US) that Askren would win this fight, although it’s not clear if he meant literally and no book would take that kind of wager on an exhibition. Paul has claimed he would double that bet on himself. He also claimed to have sent a $50 million contract to former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor in order to set a fight up with the Irishman.