After Jake Paul finished Ben Askren in the first round at the Triller Fight Club on Saturday, the calls came.
From celebrities to ex-combatants, the target in Paul’s back was obvious. Perhaps MMA’s most prominent name for expressing his desire to punch Paul in the face, however, was the famous UFC celebrity BJ Penn.
“Hey @triller, send me a contract and I’ll drop this f * cker in one round,” Penn tweeted.
Penn, 42, has not fought in mixed martial arts since May 2019. He was released from the UFC after a video about street fighting appeared later that year. In the video, Penn was shaken by another man. A second video showed him on the offensive, however, as he hit the man to the ground. Penn came out of the promotion with a losing slip from seven battles.
Meanwhile, Paul has won his three boxing fights against celebrities who aren’t. First, he defeated youtuber Ali Eson Gib with the first round of TKO. In his second edition, Paul planted former NBA star Nate Robinson in the second round.
Paul’s Askren TKO on Saturday was the fastest end to his professional boxing career. Paul took only 1:59.
Hey @triller send me a contract and i’ll drop this shit in a turn happ https://t.co/JSP5lNh9xh
– bjpenndotcom (@bjpenndotcom) April 18, 2021
In 2012, legendary boxing coach Freddie Roach considered Penn one of the best mixed martial arts boxers. In 32 professional MMA fights, Penn racked up seven wins per playoff or TKO. He has never boxed professionally.
The Triller Fight Club took place Saturday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The card was transmitted in pay-per-view mode.