After Jake Paul finished Ben Askren in the first round of the Triller Fight Club on Saturday, the calls spilled over.
From celebrities to former fighters, the target on Paul’s back was obvious. Perhaps the most notable MMA name that expressed a desire to hit Paul in the face was BJ Penn Hall of Famer, UFC.
“Hey @triller, send me a contract and I’ll gladly eliminate this f * cker in one round,” Penn wrote on Twitter.
Penn, 42, has not fought in the mixed martial arts since May 2019. He was released from the UFC after a video of his street fights came out later that year. In the video, Penn was shaken and dropped by another man. However, a second video showed him on the offensive, while hitting the man on the ground. Penn left the promotion on a skid of seven losing fights.
Meanwhile, Paul has won all three boxing fights against non-boxing stars. First, he defeated YouTuber Ali Eson Gib via TKO in the first round. In his second outing, Paul faced former NBA star Nate Robinson in round 2. The vicious knockout went viral.
Paul Askren’s TKO on Saturday was the fastest end of his professional boxing career. Paul took only 1:59.
Hey @triller send me a contract and I will happily hit this bastard in one round 💯 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 has accumulated seven knockout or TKO victories. He never boxed professionally.
The Triller Fight Club took place on Saturday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The card was broadcast in pay-per-view mode.