Sean O'Malley Picks Jake Paul To Beat Ben Askren In Boxing Match

Mandatory Credit: The Mac Life & Michael Reaves

UFC bantamweight contender, 'Suga' Sean O'Malley has given his thoughts on the upcoming April 17 professional boxing match between YouTube content creator, Jake Paul, and former ONE Championship, Bellator, and UFC feature, 'Funky' Ben Askren. 

Slated to himself return to active competition following his first career knockout loss last August, polarizing Montana native, O'Malley draws Brazilian Muay Thai practitioner, Thomas 'Thominhas' Almeida in a UFC 260 clash on March 27th.

Attempting to rebound from the August defeat and realign himself on the route to top contention at 135-pounds, Dana White's Contender Series alum, O'Malley dropped a late, opening-round knockout loss to Marlon 'Chito' Vera in the UFC 252 co-main event clash, with the Ecuadorian aggravating a prior leg injury via a brisk leg kick midway through the frame -- before finishing O'Malley with ground strikes.

Praising the finishing ability of Paul, O'Malley questioned if Askren were to stand opposite, Nate Robinson, would he be able to take him out inside four rounds.

"Jake Paul, you see him knocking out -- I don't think Ben Askren knocks out Nate Robinson," O'Malley said. "I don't think he knocks him out, does he? No, he doesn't. In four rounds? Probably not. He just doesn't have that pop that Jake has. Jake Paul's an athlete too, he's an athletic guy. He f**king, a pretty big guy -- he's bigger than Ben I think. I think he's like 6"1."

"He's a big dude, and he can crack and he can punch," O'Malley continued. "We've seen it, we've seen him knockout sparring partners. He's looking pretty sharp on the mits. He looks like he's been training a lot in a little bit of time -- in a couple years. He's been training, grinding, trying to get better. This fight's only -- not that far away, it's not that far out."

Giving a lengthy breakdown of the upcoming Triller promoted boxing matchup -- O'Malley claimed that he believes out of the duo, Paul may have the more superior boxing skillset when compared with Roufusport mainstay, Askren.

"I think when it comes to skill-wise, boxing skill, who's got better boxing skill -- just in the pure sport of boxing, I think Jake Paul does," O'Malley explained. "Ben's never really just done boxing training, why would you? You're a f**king wrestler, your gameplan is to wrestle. (You) maybe throw hands into a shot, get good at that. It's still different than boxing. So I think Jake Paul is gonna have more skill."

Predicting the outcome of the April 17 matchup, O'Malley claimed he'll tune in to watch the matchup, before picking Paul to emerge with the victory. 

"Ben vs. Jake -- I got Jake," O'Malley said. "I got Jake, I got Jake, man, I don't know -- I'm watching. This is absolutely insane. He's 2-0 as a pro, Ben Askren has never boxed pro this is absolutely insane. I'm watching, tune in."

Prior to his opening-round knockout loss to rival, Vera, O'Malley had made a successful Octagon return in the opening months of last year with a first-round knockout win of his own over Jose Alberto Quinonez, as well as a Knockout of the Year contender via his one-punch finish of former WEC bantamweight champion, Eddie Wineland.