“These boxers only want to box MMA fighters…. If they had real courage, they would offer to fight an actual MMA bout,” Ben Askren wrote on X last week. Many assumed he was taking a dig at his former rival Jake Paul. After all, they faced each other back in 2021, and the match resulted in yet another win for Paul. The whole fiasco lasted just one minute and 59 seconds before ‘The Problem Child’ knocked out ‘Funky’. But it turns out, Askren, who is still recovering from his health concerns, wasn’t talking about Paul at all.

Instead, his tweet was a response to what UK boxer Connor Benn said about cross-sport action between boxing and MMA. Benn had stated: “Whoever these f—— UFC fighters wanting to come over to boxing, it’s a dangerous game… For any of these MMA lot who wanna come over to boxing, if you fancy something, you can come and get it… Nasty.

“Bare knuckle… I see a lot of people tagging me in that [Ilia Topuria], I got these hands, brother… Listen, I ain’t stupid enough to get in the cage, you wouldn’t catch me dead in the cage. I’d get my arse handed to me. But, for them thinking, they can come over and do that to us, that’s a f—— liberty.” And this is what Ben Askren was responding to, but many assumed the Olympic wrestler’s comments were regarding Jake Paul. So, to clear the confusion, Askren tweeted: “This is about Connor Ben comments not Jake Paul.” But why did Benn call out Topuria?

Topuria has elicited comparisons with Conor McGregor due to similarities in their UFC paths and tattoos. And so, if he wants to continue emulating the Irishman’s career, a jump into the boxing ring would be inevitable. And it seems a trip to the world of boxing has been on his mind. In fact, last month, he stated that he would want to fight the winner of Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford and asked boxing promoter Turki Alalshikh to help with it.

Perhaps Connor Benn didn’t like how lightly the UFC fighter was taking either of the boxers and sent in a warning. Regardless, Topuria also has other things on his mind: the UFC lightweight belt.

Meanwhile, Ben Askren has clarified his thoughts on MMA, boxing, and athletes crossing over.

The mended bond between Ben Askren and Jake Paul

That clarity in his message to supporters is understandable given how far Ben Askren and Jake Paul have come. Once defined by their brief but heated rivalry, the two now share mutual respect. This transformation happened when Askren was in the middle of his medical crisis, and his insurance refused to cover the risky double-lung surgery. ‘The Problem Child’ did more than just wish him well; he reportedly helped fund the life-saving operation.

Askren suffered severe pneumonia and a staph infection, was put into a medically induced coma before having a double lung transplant. With bills in the millions, his family turned to fundraising, and Paul supposedly made a $500,000 donation. Paul’s supporters described it as “unbelievable” generosity for someone his age, while Amanda Serrano complimented him for keeping it confidential.

For Askren, it was more than simply financial assistance; it showed that even a former opponent can be present when it counts. Along with the donation, Paul left a personal message wishing him strength and recovery, much like Jorge Masvidal, another former opponent, who sent blessings. Similarly, Kamaru Usman reached out to Askren.