Jake Paul Says He Was 'Embarrassed' for Ben Askren After Knockout

It wasn't enough for Jake Paul to beat Ben Askren in a boxing ring. 

Paul appeared on Max on Boxing Thursday and addressed his first-round TKO of Askren, saying he was "embarrassed" for the former MMA fighter.

"He came in unprepared," Paul said. "I said it in the weigh-ins the day before. I said, 'You, my friend, are underestimating me.' And it was very, very unprofessional the way he came in."

Askren's quick defeat had some wondering whether he basically took a dive and was happy to collect his $500,000 purse plus whatever he might have earned from pay-per-view buys.

The 36-year-old discussed the outcome with ESPN's Ariel Helwani and denied he intentionally lost. He went on to say the loss was "equally embarrassing" as his five-second knockout at the hands of Jorge Masvidal at UFC 239 in July 2019.

Askren acknowledged the stakes were higher against Masvidal, though, and that fighting Paul "had little significance in my life."