Two worlds made an unlikely collision when Donald Trump Jr. took to his Instagram story Thursday to promote YouTuber Jake Paul's upcoming boxing match, which will be live-streamed on Triller, against former MMA fighter, Ben Askren.
This is the second time the former president's son has promoted the fight, the first being on April 11 when he called Paul a "YouTube legend."
Jake Paul x Ben Askren x Donald Trump Jr x Triller collab ????????????
— Humza ???? (@HumzyTumzy) April 11, 2021
Ironically funny meme at the end too pic.twitter.com/92RsaWnJUV
"Okay guys, this is gonna be some fun stuff to do for the weekend," Trump Jr. said in his Instagram story. "UFC fighter Ben Askren is going to take on YouTube sensation and amateur boxer Jake Paul."
It's unclear if Trump Jr. has a relationship with Paul, but Paul has been supportive of former president Trump in the past.
The promotion is striking because Paul is one of the most controversial figures on the internet.
According to Insider's poll data, Paul is one of the most well-known and most disliked YouTubers. Paul was the subject of an FBI raid in August and was charged with misdemeanor trespassing after filming at a mall being looted in Arizona. Just days before Trump Jr.'s Instagram story, Paul addressed a sexual assault allegation made against him – which he denied.
Insider reached out to Trump Jr. and Paul but did not immediately hear back.
Paul's highly-publicized fight has gained attention in the sports community as people are hesitant to welcome Paul as an athlete. Bleacher Report said that its pick would still be Askren because "the idea that a decorated mixed martial artist—even at 36 and with a skill set leaning distinctly toward wrestling — could lose a fight of any kind to a social media influencer with only a fellow YouTuber and a retired basketballer on his victim's list seems patently ridiculous."
The publication also noted that Askren's last two fights ended in defeat. In his fight against Jorge Masvidal, Askren was knocked out within five seconds — the fastest knockout in UFC, according to ESPN. Paul, on the other hand, most recently knocked out basketball player Nate Robinson.
"For what it's worth, Jake Paul will arrive Saturday night as the bigger, stronger, and younger man, and the one who's coming off a string of successes — even if they were against non-combat opponents," Bleacher Report noted.
