Former MMA champion Ben Askren made his boxing debut against Jake Paul in the headliner of tonight’s Triller event in Atlanta, Georgia.’

Askren (19-2 MMA), the former Bellator and ONE welterweight champion, was returning to combat sports this evening for the first time since suffering a submission loss to Demian Maia in his final fight with the UFC in October of 2019.

Meanwhile, Jake Paul had entered tonight’s Triller main event sporting a 2-0 record as a boxer, having picked up wins in a pair of previous celebrity boxing matches. The first of those wins came against YouTube personality Ali Eson Gib. The second occurred in November of 2020, when he shut the lights out on former NBA star Nate Robinson.

While many fans thought that Ben Askren’s combat sports experience would play a big factor in tonight’s contest that did prove to be the case. Instead, Jake Paul was able to keep his distance and wound up dropping ‘Funky’ with a huge right hand just moments into the fight. The knockdown resulted in a fight-ending stoppage and Paul walked away with victory.

Shortly following the disappointing setback, Ben Askren took to Twitter where he issued the following apology to the mixed martial arts community.

Sorry world 🙁

— Funky (@Benaskren) April 18, 2021

“I’m sorry world :(“ – Askren posted on social media.

The loss marked Ben’s third in a row, as he had previously suffered stoppage defeats to Jorge Masvidal and Demian Maia under the UFC banner.

Who would you like to see Jake Paul fight next following his knockout victory over Ben Askren this evening in Atlanta? Share your thoughts in the comment section PENN Nation!