ATLANTA – Ben Askren coach and cornerback Mike Rhodes says Saturday’s fight with Jake Paul isn’t just about earning a salary.
Askren will have to leave his retirement from combat sports to make his professional boxing debut against Paul in the main event of Saturday’s Triller Fight Club event, which takes place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and is broadcast in payment.
Many wondered why Askren, a former Bellator and ONE championship title, would pass sports at this stage to face Paul. Askren has said his payday will be more lucrative than all the money he won in three combined UFC fights, but Rhodes is firm that it is not his only incentive.
“I think people think Ben is here to pick up a check,” Rhodes told MMA Junkie on Thursday. “Ben is one of the most competitive people you can meet in your life. No matter what, it’s competitive. … The last thing we want to do is lose to Jake Paul. If people think he’s doing it as a joke or playing, you’ll see the fight. “
Askren is in no way known as a striker. His background in wrestling allowed him to gain prominence in MMA, but Rhodes said he has noticed a change now that Askren has devoted all his time and effort to working his hands over the past few months. It hasn’t been the easiest adjustment, but Rhodes has seen the evolution and thinks Askren has come up with a way that will lead to success the night of the fight.
“If you look at Ben’s career and look at Jake’s career, just the sheer amount of time and experience you spend in the arena, whether it’s in the boxing ring or the cage, will be more comfortable there,” Rhodes said. “Therefore, the harder the fight, the better for us. Ben has said several times that he is not a fast-twitch athlete. These guys have better cardio, better conditioning and I think one of the things that Ben would say right now is that he can focus singularly on boxing, the form of cardio that he has right now, that he can do all day. We will dominate if the fight is close. All we have to do is make distance fighting competitive, because over time we will start to overcome it because our wrestling experience (not just boxing, but wrestling) will start to shine. “
Rhodes said he does not intend Askren to be more than he is going to fight. He sees “awkward” attributes, such as power, that create a path to victory for his fighter, with whom he will share a corner alongside former UFC champion Tyron Woodley. Ultimately, he thinks Paul will have a lot of trouble.
“I won’t smoke: I won’t say it just crushes the pads, but it has that awkward force,” Rhodes said. “Those guys who caught him will tell you it’s different. It’s not like grabbing a 600-pound weight bar and bench, but it makes these people feel weak. His power is awkward because his punching style is awkward. I think it will be an advantage. In positions where you don’t think you can hit hard, you can generate energy.
“I think Ben is a little heavy to the point that he doesn’t have athletic power, but at the end of the punch, he stings a bit. I think with his cardio and his fist numbers he can post, I think his power you will be able to wear Jake instead of a single, final type of power.
All of this leads to a fascinating clash on Saturday. Rhodes insists Askren should not be underestimated and aligns himself with his fighter’s prediction of a final TKO.
“I think they’ve messed up; I think they thought Jake would dominate everything,” Rhodes said. “I think it is a very safe and reliable option. If something happened sooner, it would be decided and we would win, okay. “