Askren says Paul fight wasn't fixed: What would I gain from that?

Since Jake Paul finished Ben Askren in a boxing match this past weekend, there's been some speculation the latter took a dive and the fight was fixed.

Askren said Monday it's "human nature" to think a fight was rigged, but he added that was definitely not the case during Saturday's Triller Fight Club event in Atlanta.

"I got hit," Askren told ESPN's Ariel Helwani. "I guess the question I would ask those people is, what do I gain by it? I told you guys what I made for this fight. It was a very nice paycheck.

"But I'm also not destitute and poor. So what do I gain by that? And the answer is nothing. I think, in fact, I would actually lose a lot. It's not something that would ever cross my mind."

Paul dropped Askren, a former UFC fighter, with an overhand right less than two minutes into the main-event bout. Askren returned to his feet, but referee Brian Stutts called off the fight after the 36-year-old stumbled forward.

Askren said he disagreed with the referee's stoppage, but he didn't feel the need to protest.

"I thought I was ready to fight," Askren said. "I told the guy I was ready to fight."

"The last thing I'm going to do is blow up at a referee over what I think is not the right call," he continued. "That's just immature, and there's no efficiency to it - it's not going to solve anything. If anything, it's going to get me fined by the commission."

Paul, a YouTuber-turned-boxer, improved his professional record to 3-0 with the first-round victory. He previously finished fellow YouTuber Ali Eson Gib and former NBA player Nate Robinson in 2020.

The fight was Askren's first pro athletic endeavor since retiring from mixed martial arts in 2019, and it was also his boxing debut. One of the best wrestlers to ever compete in MMA, Askren is a former Bellator and ONE Championship titleholder who logged a 19-2 (1 NC) record over his 10-year career.