Editor’s note: This article was originally published on MMAJunkie.com.
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ATLANTA – Ben Askren’s coach and cornerman Mike Rhodes says Saturday’s fight with Jake Paul is not merely for a paycheck.
Askren is set to come out of his combat sports retirement to make his professional boxing debut against Paul in the main event of Triller Fight Club’s Saturday event, which takes place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and airs on pay-per-view.
Many wondered why Askren, a former Bellator and ONE Championship titleholder, would transition sports at this stage to face Paul. Askren has said his payday will be more lucrative than all the money he made across three UFC fights combined, but Rhodes is adamant that’s not his only incentive.
“I think people think Ben is here to just collect a check,” Rhodes told MMA Junkie on Thursday. “Ben is one of the most competitive people you can meet in your life.
“It doesn’t matter what it is, he’s competitive. … The last thing we want to do is lose to Jake Paul. If people think he’s doing this as just a joke or playing around, you’ll see the fight.”
https://youtu.be/YBVtJp_Lt18
Askren is by no means known as a striker. His wrestling background allowed him to rise to prominence in MMA, but Rhodes said he’s noticed a change now that Askren has committed his full time and effort into working his hands over the past several months.
It hasn’t been the easiest adjustment, but Rhodes has seen the evolution and thinks Askren has come into a form that will lead to success on fight night.
“If you look at Ben’s career and you look at Jake’s career, just the pure 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.
“So, the longer the fight goes, the better for us. Ben has said multiple times he’s not a fast-twitch athlete. Those guys have better cardio, better conditioning, and I think one of the things Ben would say right now, is being able to have a singular focus on boxing, the cardio shape that he’s in right now, he’s able to do that all day.
“We will dominate if the fight is close. All we have to do is make the fight at range competitive, because over time we will start to overtake him because our experience in fighting – not just boxing, but fighting – will start to shine.”
JAKE PAUL VS. BEN ASKREN: To watch the fight, go here.
Rhodes said he’s not touting Askren to be more than he is going into this fight. He sees “awkward” attributes, such as power, that create a path to victory for his fighter, who he will share a corner with alongside former UFC champion Tyron Woodley. Ultimately he envisions Paul having a lot of problems.
“I’m not going to blow smoke: I’m not going to say he’s just crushing the pads, but he has that awkward strength,” Rhodes said. “Those guys that grappled him will tell you it’s different.
“It’s not like just grab a barbell and bench 600 pounds of weight, but he makes those people feel weak. His power is awkward because his punching style is awkward.
“I think that will be an advantage. In positions where you don’t think he’s going to be able to hit hard, he’ll be able to generate power. I think Ben is kind of heavy-handed to the point he doesn’t have athletic power, but at the end of the punch, it stings a bit.
“I think with his cardio and the punching numbers he’ll be able to put out, I think his power will be able to wear Jake down as opposed to one-shot, end-the-fight kind of power.”
All this leads to a fascinating clash on Saturday. Rhodes insists Askren is not to be underestimated, and he aligns with his fighter’s prediction of a late-round TKO.
“I think they messed up – I think they thought Jake was going to dominate everything,” Rhodes said. “I think that’s a very safe and reliable pick. If anywhere were to happen before that and it goes to a decision and we win, good.”
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