Boxing Betting -- Can a UFC star beat a YouTube star? Don't Ask-ren

  • In Charles Jay
  • Sat, Apr 17th, 2021 8:41:24 pm
  • By Charles Jay - Exclusive to OSGA


Will former Bellator champion Ben Askren be able to box well enough to defeat Jake Paul on Saturday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium?


When you have a lot of followers on YouTube, you can probably sell just about anything. The last time he was in a boxing ring, Jake Paul defeated a professional athlete, although he was a former NBA slam dunk champion (Nate Robinson).

This time he will be in there with someone who has fought for a living, and did a very good job at it. So will that change the dynamic?

We'll see, as Paul takes on Ben Askren in a scheduled eight-round boxing match that takes place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. This is being presented a a pay-per-view by Triller Fight Club, with a lot of "trimmings," and if you are a customer at BetOnline, you are going to be able to wager on a number of boxing props, making this whole experience a lot of fun.

Here are their boxing betting odds on this bout:

Jake Paul -151
Ben Askren +131

Over 5.5 Rounds -115
Under 5.5 Rounds -115

As a mixed martial arts fighter, Askren has compiled a record of 19-2 with six knockouts. His roots are in wrestling; he was a two-time national champion at the University of Missouri, a world champion in submission wrestling, and a two-time winner of the Dan Hodge Trophy, which is emblematic of the most outstanding collegiate wrestler. He won 87 consecutive matches in one stretch.

Askren has been the welterweight champion for both the Bellator and ONE promotions, but he did not win a championship with the UFC. In fact, he was actually the victim of the quickest KO in UFC history, when he was taken out with a flying knee in five seconds by Jorge Masvidal at UFC 239.

The last time he found himself in the Octagon, Askren lost on a rear naked choke to Demian Maia. That was in October 2019. He underwent hip replacement surgery in early September last year, and was advised by doctors not to engage in any athletic activity for about a year. Obviously he hasn't listened to his doctor's advice.

Askren hasn't made any bones about the fact that he is doing this fight for the money. In fact, he considers this to be "easy money" against an opponent who "has fought two guys who have never been in a fight." He considers himself to be an exception to that, because he has been in competition with opponents who were "trained killers."

If that is the basis of high expectations on his part, he is going to be in for a big surprise.

Consider that this guy is (1) coming off a serious surgical procedure, and just as importantly, (2) after that, he is starting literally from square one when it comes to boxing.

It may be true that Jake Paul hasn't really fought anyone. But he hasn't necessarily known a whole lot about his opponents going in, and at least he has been going through the process of training for boxing for some time. He has been working with BJ Flores, a former cruiserweight and heavyweight contender who knows how to put him through the paces.

Training for boxing is different than training for anything else. We all know that MMA competitors have a coach who works with them on striking. But Askren has a very weak background along those lines. And we have seen some of his training sessions. Unless he is playing the all-time greatest game of possum, he is under-equipped. And also don't forget that defending against the other guy throwing punches at you is a big part of this.

Yes, you're going to bring up the name of Conor McGregor. But keep in mind that striking was at the core of McGregor's game, and he had done some boxing as an amateur. Askren does not have that going for him.

Honestly, Askren's best chance here might be for him to literally just last into the fourth, fifth, sixth round in the hope that Jake Paul tires himself out. After all, the YouTuber hasn't had to go hard for that long. And as a trained athlete, we might expect that Askren would be the guy that had more stamina when all was said and done.

I might be able to buy that. I suppose Dana White (UFC president) does, because he says he has bet $1 million on Askren.

Except we have that hip replacement thing. That could come back to haunt him.

And who knows if Askren's skills will allow him to survive for that long. I have a feeling they won't.

At BetOnline, we have some other props to look at. It is -300 that there will be a knockdown. I could throw something small on that.

And here is a prop that covers the method of victory:

Paul by Decision +325
Paul by KO, TKO or DQ +125
Askren by Decision +500
Askren by KO, TKO or DQ +275
Draw +1800

A +125 price against the guy who's the beginner and is coming back too early from a hip replacement presents some value as far as I'm concerned.

Remember - at BetOnline they have plenty of wagering options on Saturday's fight card, along with all of the upcoming boxing and MMA action you could possibly be looking for............. And you'll get incredibly explosive payouts on pre-selected parlays when you access Odds Boosters............ You've got every conceivable way to open up an account, and if you're looking for something really quick, check out cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin!


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