How Mario Lopez Knows Ben Askren Didn't Throw Jake Paul Fight (Exclusive)

Mario Lopez has laughed off rumors the Ben Askren vs Jake Paul fight was rigged.

The "Saved By The Bell" star was ringside when that right hand connected — and there was nothing fake about it.

"Oh, that was a pretty hard shot," he laughed when asked at LAX on Sunday. "I was right there."

"Yeah… it was kind of pretty solid."

Solid enough that the MMA star was unable to continue according to the referee, handing the YouTuber his third boxing victory... and third by knockout.

So who's up next for the still undefeated social media star?

"Well, the fact that a lot of people want to fight him, shows that he's come a long way and is a major draw, and it's a lucrative move for a lot of these fighters in both boxing and MMA," Mario mused.

"We'll see. I think he could be as selective as he wants. He's kinda running the show now."

Lopez, who knows how to throw a punch himself, was pretty impressed with how Paul looked in the ring.

"He showed improvement and looked pretty solid yesterday," he said, adding "he's a nice kid!"

So would Mario himself fight him?

“Oh, I don't know if NBC would let me, to be honest!" he laughed.

"But I do love to box and I train. You know, if it was for a charitable aspect against somebody that'd I'd want to get in there, and you know, I'm always down to have a lot of fun."

As for potential opponents for Lopez, he seems ready to fight anyone... even his friend Teddy!