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Former UFC welterweight Ben Askren believes that his former arch-rival Jake Paul and longtime friend Tyron Woodley are bound to cross paths in the boxing ring once again.
Having fought Paul and trained with Woodley, Askren is well-acquainted with the two men who fought in last weekend's Showtime pay-per-view main event. 'Funky' posted a video on his Instagram to give his thoughts on the recently concluded Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley crossover bout.
"Now, I think (Jake) and Tyron happens again, and here's why I think it happens," Askren said. "So while I will definitely admit that Jake worked hard for this and he has achieved a relatively high level of boxing proficiency, I think that going from the level he's at to like a world championship level is a long way off."
According to Askren, Paul's only options are to fight former MMA fighters or take his chances against high-level pugilists. With that in mind, Askren believes it's in Paul's best interest to stick to the formula that has worked for him so far.
"Tyron is a champion in mixed martial arts and I think I've had a conversation with him and (Paul) would recognize that him vs. a boxing world champion in boxing is a tough matchup. It's not gonna go all that well."
The former Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight titleholder added that Paul needs big-name fighters to help him sell his fights. That said, Askren thinks it would be difficult for 'The Problem Child' to come across a high profile boxer who Paul can realistically be competitive against.
"I don't think it makes a lot of sense for him. I don't think it makes a lot of sense for anybody. So, the fight that makes most sense is him fighting Tyron again."
Watch Ben Askren's breakdown of Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley:
Ben Askren thinks Tyron Woodley should have won against Jake Paul
Ben Askren is among the people who believe that Tyron Woodley should have gotten the decision win over Jake Paul. The YouTube sensation edged the former UFC welterweight champ via split decision, but Ben Askren is of the belief that the outcome should have gone the other way.
"I maybe biased, but I think Tyron won," Askren said. "I had it scored 5-3. The way I saw it, he was more aggressive, he was stalking and he landed more effective punches."
