ATLANTA – Ben Askren coach and cornerback Mike Rhodes says the fight with Jake Paul on Saturday is not just a salary.
Askren plans to retire from martial arts to make his professional boxing debut against Paul during the main event of the Triller Fight Club’s Saturday event, which takes place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium and is broadcast on pay-per-view word.
Many have wondered why Askren, a former Bellator and ONE Championship title holder, would switch sports at this stage to defy Paul. Askren said his payday would be more lucrative than all the money he’s earned in three UFC fights combined, but Rhodes is determined it’s not his only incentive.
“I think people think Ben is here just to collect a check,” Rhodes told MMA Junkie on Thursday. ‘Ben is one of the most competitive people you can meet in your life. No matter what it is, he is competitive. … The last thing we want to do is lose Jake Paul. If people think he’s just doing it as a joke or to play around, you’ll see the fight. ‘
Askren is by no means known as an attacker. His wrestling background has enabled him to become prominent in MMA, but Rhodes said he has noticed a change now that Askren has made him full-time and hard at work over the past few months. It was not yet the easiest adjustment, but Rhodes saw the evolution and thinks Askren has come in a form that will lead to success on the night of the battle.
“If you look at Ben’s career and look at Jake’s career, just the sheer amount of time and experience spent in the arena, whether it’s the boxing ring or the cage, he’s going to be more comfortable in there,” Rhodes said. . “The longer the fight goes on, the better for us. Ben has said several times that he is not a fast athlete. Those guys have better cardio, better conditioning, and I think one of the things Ben would say now is to have a unique focus on boxing, the cardio form he’s currently in, he can do it all day. do. We will dominate when the battle is near. All we have to do is make the distance battle competitive, because over time we will start to overtake him because our experience of fighting – not only boxing but also fighting – will start to shine. ”
Rhodes said he was not telling Askren more than the fight. He sees ‘uncomfortable’ traits, such as strength, that create a path to victory for his fighter, with whom he will share a corner, along with former UFC champion Tyron Woodley. Eventually he sees that Paul has many problems.
“I’m not going to blow smoke: I’m not going to say he’s just crushing the pillows, but he’s got the uncomfortable power,” Rhodes said. ‘The guys who struggled with him will tell you it’s different. It’s not like just grabbing a dumbbell and lifting 600 pounds of weight, but it makes people feel weak. His power is uncomfortable because his punching style is uncomfortable. I think that would be an advantage. In positions where you do not think he will be able to hit hard, he will be able to generate power.
‘I think Ben is a bit melancholy to the point that he does not have athletic strength, but at the end of the punch it stings a bit. I think with his cardio and the punch numbers he will be able to put out, I think his power will be able to endure Jake as opposed to the one-stroke, the end of the fight. “
All this leads to a fascinating clash on Saturday. Rhodes maintains that Askren should not be underestimated, and he agrees with his fighter’s prediction of a late TKO.
“I think they got confused – I think they thought Jake was going to dominate everything,” Rhodes said. ‘I think it’s a very safe and reliable choice. If it had happened somewhere before and it would decide and we win, fine. ‘