Jake Paul reacts to Dana White’s planned $1M bet on Ben Askren

UFC President Dana White plans to bet $1 million on Ben Askren beating Jake Paul this April—and now, Paul has responded.

Askren and Paul will collide in an eight-round boxing match in Atlanta, Georgia on April 17. Heading into the matchup, there’s widespread debate as to who will come out on top.

Askren is the far more accomplished combat sports athlete, having competed as an Olympic wrestler and won titles in ONE Championship and Bellator. Paul, however, has seemingly dedicated his life to learning to box, and looks to be taking quite well to The Sweet Science.

White has butted heads with Askren a number of times previously, but is convinced that the former mixed martial arts star has what it takes to dispose of Paul in April. And the UFC boss recently vowed to put his money where his mouth is.

“Let’s be honest, Jake Paul isn’t a f*cking boxer,” White told Zab Judah on Hotboxin with Mike Tyson. “This guy is a f*king YouTube kid.

“[Askren] is a wrestler, a decorated wrestler,” White continued. “He has actually fought real guys. He has been a world champion in other organizations in MMA.

“I’ll bet a million dollars that he loses this f*king fight,” White concluded. “A million dollars he loses this fight.”

Given how active Paul is on social media, it’s no surprise that he quickly caught wind of these comments from White.

The YouTube star responded on his Instagram account—which has almost 15 million followers—encouraging White to double his bet.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMQhrjUBvCZ/

“Dana let’s double the bet up! $2 Million,” Paul wrote on Instagram. “We wire the money into escrow. $4 million total. Winner takes all. My team will be in touch to make a contract. After I knockout Ben, we can set up Jake Paul Vs. Dana White 2021 since you consider yourself a ‘Boxer’ and me a ‘YouTuber.'”

While Paul is attempting to get even money on himself, it’s worth noting that most sportsbooks have him listed as a significant betting favorite, so it’s unclear if the UFC boss will take this wager.

What do you think of this response from Jake Paul?