Based on what he has seen from Jake Paul, Markus Perez doesn't think he will last long against Ben Askren.
The former UFC fighter decided to take Paul's offer to help him spar for his boxing fight against Askren on April 17. Perez, who has competed at middleweight and welterweight in MMA, didn't know what to expect when he joined the Paul camp.
Not only was he not impressed, Perez saw a clear flaw in Paul.
“To tell you the truth I had no idea who he was, but when someone related to him offered me $300 (to train with him), I decided to accept. When I arrived at his house with my friend Alexandre Pantoja, I politely went to greet everyone,” Perez told AG Fight (h/t Sherdog). “But when I went to shake hands, he gave me a closed fist. Then I looked at Pantoja and asked, ‘That was the guy I came to help?’"
“He started the sparring going hard, and I hit him with a jab at the end of the first round and his nose started to bleed. From that point on we started to fight. I called for him to beat me up and he was afraid, just circling and staying out of my range. Of course, he is able to box and has a good cross, but he is clearly not a fighter — just an adventurous (type).”
Perez started his MMA career in 2013. A former LFA Middleweight Champion, Perez joined the UFC in 2017. Going 2-5 with the promotion, Perez was let go following a three-fight losing streak. His last fight was in January, losing to Dalcha Lungiambula.
A YouTuber, Paul has fought twice in a boxing ring. He has faced AnEsonGib and former NBA player Nate Robinson. Askren, a wrestler and former Bellator and ONE champion, will be his toughest challenge to date. Perez believes Askren has the ultimate edge.
"Askren is a real fighter,” Perez went on to say. “He will close the distance and beat him up around the body and liver, just like I did. A fight is always a fight, anything can happen, but I believe he will knock Paul out around the second or third round.”
The fight will take place inside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. It will be promoted through Triller.
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