BEN ASKREN called Jake Paul ‘a coward’ and said the YouTuber ‘has gone silent’ ever since he accepted his fight offer.
Askren was sent a proposal to face the internet sensation in March which, according to the ex-UFC welterweight, was quickly accepted.
But, now Askren has accused Paul of giving him the silent treatment and even doubts the pair will fight.
He said on Twitter: “So, let me give you a little recap of the situation.
“I’m retired, coaching wrestling, doing some podcasts, buying some Bitcoin, enjoying life. I don’t really wanna fight anybody.
“So in November, this jabroni Jake Paul calls me out, puts up a poster with my name, ha ha ha it’s kinda funny. Whatever, right? No big deal.
“Well then, a couple weeks later, I get a couple texts and a week after that I get some calls and I get an offer.
“OK, this guy really wants to fight. Am I opposed to making some easy money? Beating up a YouTuber? Of course I’m not.
“So what do I do? ‘Sure, Jacob, I’ll fight you’. No problem. I accept publicly, on Twitter, nonetheless.
“Since then Jacob has gone silent. Jacob is kind of a coward. Sorry guys, I don’t think the fight is happening.”
Paul, 23, improved his professional record to 2-0 in November, after he scored a viral knockout against ex-NBA player Nate Robinson, 36, on the Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr undercard.
The internet phenomenon recently leaked a message to rival Dillon Danis, which revealed an offer he sent to the MMA fighter as well as to Askren and Michael Bisping.
But Danis, 27, is said to be out until June due to a knee injury, leaving retired pair Bisping, 41, and Askren, 36, as favourites to fight Paul next.
Askren last fought in October 2019, as he quit the octagon after consecutive losses to Jorge Masvidal and Damian Maia.
The American grappler has never been renowned for his striking and won only six times by knockout.
