Jake Paul did not face Nate Robinson this time, but a decorated MMA fighter, and the result was the same.
Paul, a YouTube sensation, beat Ben Askren in the first round of Saturday night’s pay-per-view fight at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium with his right hand on his head.
The Triller Fight Club event was televised on FITE.tv for $ 49.99, and the fight at the main event lasted less than two minutes.
The stop was debatable. Askren, 36, wanted to continue, but referee Brian Stutts said he was unable to fight and was stopped at 1:59 p.m.
Askren – who has a 19-2-0 record (one without a contest) in the UFC – didn’t look crushed after the loss. He was shown walking behind the scenes smiling after the fight and apparently in a good mood after winning $ 500,000 in the revealed hall for the fight, according to CBS Sports.
Paul, 24 – an influencer on social media who insists he is a real boxer – has not yet fought a professional, but this was his first victory over a professional fighter. He is now 3-0, with three knockouts with previous victories over Robinson and AnEsonGib, a fellow YouTuber.
“This is the craziest moment of my life,” said Paul, who floated in the ring after the victory. “I told everyone I would do it in the first round. I told you I’m a real fighter. I don’t know how many times I’ve come to prove that this is real.
“Four months have passed, I was in camp every day. I deserve this st. I don’t know how many times I have to prove myself to be true.
Paul, a showman who took a stunner from Kevin Owens in a WrestleMania 37 match last week, doesn’t have these top wrestlers shivering in their boots, judging by their reactions on Twitter.
Nate Robinson, who has been criticized for fighting Paul, now has praise for spending the longest time in the ring against the YouTube star. Former slam-dunk champion Knick and NBA were eliminated in the second round in their Nov. 28 game.