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Jake Paul seemingly enjoys a slight size advantage over Ben Askren.
However, the most intriguing aspect of this apparent size advantage is that it isn’t too sizeable (no pun intended). The combat sports community is currently abuzz with debates and discussions regarding YouTube megastar Jake Paul and retired MMA star Ben Askren’s much-anticipated fight.
Paul (2-0) is set to face Askren (0-0) in a professional boxing match on April 17th, 2021. Perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions regarding this matchup, which has lately spread across the combat sports world, is that of Askren being at a significant size disadvantage.
How big is Jake Paul compared to Ben Askren?
The unreliable nature of fighter stats
According to BoxRec, Jake Paul is 6’1” (185 cm) tall, with a 76 inch (193 cm) reach. On the other hand, according to UFC.com, Ben Askren is 5’11” (180 cm) tall, with a 72 inch (183 cm) reach. That said, his height has generally been listed as 5'10" throughout his fighting career.
One ought to note that the aforementioned figures are approximate measures and could vary in real-life. An undeniable caveat when it comes to comparing fighters’ height, reach, weight, etc, with one another, is that these statistics often don’t reflect the exact measurements of the athlete.
A glaring example of this is when Jake Paul faced off with fellow YouTube superstar KSI (Olajide William Olatunji) inside the boxing ring after Paul had just knocked out AnEsonGib. KSI is a longtime rival of Jake and Jake’s older brother Logan Paul and holds a split decision victory over Logan in what is, to date, KSI and Logan’s sole professional boxing match.
According to BoxRec, KSI is 6’0” (183 cm), with a 76 inch (193 cm) reach. Ergo, Jake Paul is one inch taller than KSI. However, during their in-ring face-off, there was no noticeable height difference between Jake and KSI.
But we haven’t even touched upon the glaring example yet!
If we were to compare Jake Paul and KSI’s height to Jake’s older brother Logan Paul, we’d clearly see that there’s a significant height difference.
According to BoxRec, Logan Paul is 6’2” (188 cm), with a 76 inch (193 cm) reach. Nevertheless, when compared side-by-side, in their myriad of photos and videos together, Logan Paul looks much taller than both Jake Paul and KSI. Bear in mind that Jake is listed as 6’1” and KSI is listed as 6’0”.
Considering the aforementioned facts and the unreliable nature of micro-level differences in fighter statistics, it’d come as no surprise that many in the combat sports community believe that Jake Paul and KSI aren’t as tall as their listed heights. In fact, Jake Paul is believed to be around 5’10” or 5’11” at the most, whereas KSI too is supposedly 5’10” or 5’11” at the most.
Also Read: Who is Ben Askren's Wife?
Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren – No major size difference!
Furthermore, as far as both fighters’ respective weights are concerned, there isn’t much difference in that realm either!
Jake Paul weighed in at 189 pounds for his last fight, his professional boxing match against former NBA star Nate Robinson in November 2020. This bout was contested in professional boxing’s cruiserweight division (175-200 pounds).
Ben Askren last weighed in at 170.5 pounds for his non-title welterweight bout against Demian Maia in October 2019. This fight was contested in MMA’s welterweight division (155-170 pounds).
For those who aren’t familiar with the nuances of weight classes in combat sports, and the different names and weight ranges in boxing and MMA, fret not!
The point to be noted here is that Jake Paul’s last fight witnessed him weighing in at 189 pounds, while Ben Askren’s last fight witnessed him weighing in at 170.5 pounds. That’s an 18.5 pounds weight differential, isn’t it?
Well, the answer to your question is both yes and no.
You see, the consensus in the combat sports community is that Jake Paul didn’t cut much weight for his last fight. However, it’s a well-known fact that Ben Askren did cut a considerable amount of weight for his last fight. An average welterweight MMA fighter cuts anywhere between 15 to 20 pounds, to make the 170-pound limit.
Some fighters do this gradually, and they walk around upwards of 200 pounds when they’re not preparing for a specific fight i.e. when they haven’t started fight camp yet.
Don’t be mistaken though – Jake Paul too lost weight gradually once he started fight camp for the Nate Robinson fight. But with that being said, he didn’t cut as much weight as Askren is known to do during fight week.
In a nutshell, it’d be safe to assume that Jake Paul and Ben Askren weigh around the same 190-200 pound range. Out of fight camp, Jake Paul and Ben Askren likely cross 200 pounds. But once they start fight camp, their long and grueling training sessions result in them gradually dropping down to the 190-pound range.
All in all, it won’t be farfetched to suggest that Jake Paul and Ben Askren are around the same size, with regard to height and weight. Paul does, however, enjoy a four-inch reach advantage over Askren.
Moreover, Jake Paul’s physique is more well-defined than that of his opponent. Askren has often been criticized for his physique that isn’t as well-toned as most other fighters. Alternatively, the fact that Askren doesn’t carry too much muscle mass, usually helps him carry his cardio late into the fight and overwhelm the opponent with his brilliant grappling skills.
Whether or not his cardio translates well to boxing, remains to be seen. On that note, the difference in their physique might make Jake Paul seem bigger and more imposing than Ben Askren.
The first face-off would, beyond the shadow of a doubt, answer a lot of questions regarding the ongoing debate as to how big Jake Paul is as compared to Ben Askren. And honestly speaking, the fact that many in the combat sports community have been led to believe that Jake Paul has a monumental size advantage against Askren, is a testament to how larger-than-life Jake Paul’s aura truly is.
What are your views on the debates and uncertainty surrounding the purported size advantage that Jake Paul has over Ben Askren? Sound off in the comments.
Also Read: What is Ben Askren's Net Worth in 2021?
