Conor McGregor has laughed off Jake Paul’s suggestion that a fight between the pair ‘has got to happen’, calling the YouTube star a ‘nobody’.
Paul, 25, has built a professional boxing record of 5-0, knocking out each man he has fought – including former UFC champion Tyron Woodley, whom he also previously outpointed.
Meanwhile, McGregor is a former dual-weight UFC champion – the first fighter to have ever held that status in the mixed martial arts promotion. The 33-year-old has boxed once professionally, losing to Floyd Mayweather via stoppage in 2017.
American Paul has long targeted a fight against the Irishman and has suggested that it would take place in the boxing ring rather than the Octagon. When asked on The MMA Hour whether he believes his dream fight is edging nearer to becoming reality, Paul said: “Yeah, for sure.
“For me, fighting a couple more times, continuing to knock some people out [is what I need to do].
“And he has to get active again. Who knows when that’s gonna happen? I think those two things needs to happen, and then at some point [a fight] has got to happen. You know, why not?
“He’s a businessman, I’m a businessman, and that’s $75-100million for both of us.”
MMA Fighting, which hosts The MMA Hour, tweeted the above segment of the show’s interview with Paul, and McGregor took exception to the YouTuber’s comments.
“You’ve 2 fights and done 70k buys,” McGregor wrote alongside a laughing emoji. “You are a flop, kid. A nobody.”
Paul was scheduled to box Tommy Fury – half-brother of heavyweight boxing champion Tyson – at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on 6 August, but the Briton withdrew from the contest due to travel issues.
Paul is now set to fight Hasim Rahman Jr, son of former boxing champion Hasim Rahman who knocked out Lennox Lewis in 2001.
Meanwhile, McGregor is recovering from a broken leg that he sustained in his second straight loss to Dustin Poirier last year. The American handed McGregor the first knockout loss of his career in January 2021, before the Irishman suffered the brutal leg injury in their next meeting, last July.
McGregor is not expected back in the Octagon until early 2023.
