On April 17th, Jake Paul (2-0) takes his next step in his progression as a boxer. 

The Youtube star takes on former mixed martial arts champion Ben Askren in a Triller pay-per-view main event. The card takes place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

Last year, the 24-year-old Paul’s debut was a first round knockout against fellow Youtuber Ali Eson Gib. The next opponent he would face is former NBA star Nate Robinson, who suffered a brutal knockout loss in two.

Former world title challenger BJ Flores has been working with Paul for over a year and a half now - and he's very pleased with the growth he has seen in his fighter.  

“I give Ben a lot of credit for taking this fight. He is either extremely naïve or extremely ignorant.  Jake has been sparring and training with top professionals for over 18 months and holds a major advantage over a 37-year-old Askren. Ben is a slow starter and at this age he will be even slower out of the gates. This fight might not get out of the first round,” Flores told BoxingScene.con. 

"I will give him credit though. Ben has been doing a great job promoting the fight but once the first bell rings, people will see a night and day difference between Jake and Ben.”

While Askren has a decisive edge in overall combat sports experience, Flores believes that his charge’s physical advantages and experience in the squared circle will prove to be a much bigger factor on fight night.  

"Jake has the skills, the speed, and the power advantages over Ben. Ben will realize very early that he cannot win and will start to resort to dirty tactics by the second or third round. Trust me, Jake has the skills and fundamentals to put Ben away and those will be on display Saturday night,” Flores stated. 

According to Flores, Paul is only just getting started. They have a plan in place and Paul will continue to grow in the sport. 

“Ryan (Kavanaugh) and Bobby (Sarnevesht) at Triller know that Jake Paul is the future of entertainment. We have a long list of very well known name fighters we will be facing after Ben Askren. Remember, this is only Jake’s third pro fight and he is already a main event in an eight round fight. He is developing very quickly,” said Flores. 

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