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It looks like Ben Askren is going to stand by what he said throughout the build-up to his boxing match with Jake Paul. The former NCAA Division-1 wrestler has finally decided to bid adieu to his career as a combat sports athlete.
Ben Askren claims to be unfazed by tonight's outcome despite the uproar on Twitter and other social media outlets after he was knocked out in the first round. Askren said he is looking forward to continuing his career as a wrestling coach.
The Iowa native runs several wrestling academies along with his brother, Max Askren. Speaking about the TKO defeat at the hands of YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, Ben Askren said:
"I thought I was fine but, you know, whatever, that's his [referee's] job and if that's what he felt, that's what he did... I'm going to take a million dollars to the bank and coach some wrestling.
Ben Askren also affirmed that he won't return to the boxing ring or the UFC Octagon. Askren claims to be content with the hefty $500,000 payday that his boxing venture has brought. 'Funky' has no aspirations to return to competition in the future despite having to bow out with a defeat.
At the end of the day, my life doesn't change, one way or the other. In MMA, I was always pursuing of defending a world title. Today I was doing a fun boxing match."
"If it turned out great, then great. If it turned out sh*t, then my life is the same... I will not be back again. I will not be in any sort of cage."
Ben Askren on why he lost to Jake Paul tonight
Ben Askren was expected to turn to his sloppy boxing style to wear out Jake Paul. However, the Problem Child was too quick for the 36-year-old to handle. According to Askren, he bit too hard on Paul's feints which ultimately led to his defeat tonight.
"I heard my coach, Mike, he was saying I was definitely overreacting to his [Jake Paul's] feints and that was probably the beginning of the end. I shouldn't have reacted as hard to the feints."
"If the referee would've let me grapple a little longer, maybe that would've helped a little bit. But there is no excuses -- I got into a boxing match and it didn't go so well."
