'Fair play to him' - Conor McGregor's coach gives his prediction for Jake Paul vs Ben Askren

Conor McGregor's coach, John Kavanagh, has given his prediction for the highly-anticipated Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren fight. According to him, Askren would be able to weather the storm in the first three rounds, and eventually finish Paul in the fourth frame.

Ben Askren and Jake Paul are set for a boxing showdown a few hours from now. Both men will compete in a PPV event hosted by Triller Fight Club, which is scheduled to take place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ahead of the fight, Kavanagh reflected on who he thinks might come out on top between Paul and Askren. He also heaped praise on the YouTuber for playing an instrumental role in bringing the clash to fruition.

"What's your #JakePaulvsBenAskren prediction? I think Jake looks good for 2 rounds. 3 is even. 4 he's stopped. Without Jake there's no event, so fair play to him. Money generated for venue, undercard, officials, etc, during a time of scarcity," wrote Kavanagh on Twitter.

Whats your #jakePaulvsBenAskren prediction? I think jake looks good for 2 rounds. 3 is even. 4 he's stopped. Without jake there's no event so fair play to him. Money generated for venue, undercard, officials etc during a time of scarcity.

— Coach Kavanagh (@John_Kavanagh) April 17, 2021

When asked why he thinks Askren will survive the opening rounds opposite Paul, Kavanagh cited Funky's performance against Robbie Lawler at UFC 235. Lawler, best known for his boxing pedigree, wasn't able to finish Askren. 'Ruthless' was defeated by Askren in the first round via technical submission.

"You should check out his fight with this hard hitting southpaw named Robbie Lawler," Kavanagh responded to a fan on Twitter.

You should check out his fight with this hard hitting southpaw named Robbie Lawlor.

— Coach Kavanagh (@John_Kavanagh) April 17, 2021

What happened when Ben Askren squared-off against Robbie Lawler at UFC 235?

Ben Askren challenged Robbie Lawler at UFC 235 on his promotional debut. The 36-year-old found himself on the receiving end of some heavy punches by Lawler, but somehow managed to stay alive in the fight.

Later in the first round, Askren locked Lawler in a bulldog choke, which forced referee Herb Dean to stop the fight. In what looked like a controversial stoppage, Lawler appeared to have lost consciousness while struggling to scramble out of Askren's submission attempt. The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) said they had no issues with Dean's decision to stop the fight.

Robbie Lawler took Ben Askren for a ride #UFC235 pic.twitter.com/ldmQpcwZse

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 3, 2019