Conor McGregor is backing Nate Diaz to beat Jake Paul when the pair meet on August 5, but refused to mention the YouTuber-turned-boxer by name in a recent interview.
The Irishman has never been keen to make direct reference to either one of the Paul brothers Jake and Logan, who regularly call him out for boxing matches despite the chasm in size between them. And while sitting down with veteran MMA journalist Ariel Helwani in Dublin, he again refused to name the social media star.
However, that didn't stop him from taking a shot at Paul, joking that he was a "donkey" and predicting that Diaz is going to win the boxing match. Having been in the octagon for over half-an-hour with his former opponent, McGregor is an expert on his style and feels that despite never having boxed that he will defeat the YouTuber in a boxing match.
"I fancy him for it," McGregor said in the interview, which was broadcast on the Matchroom Boxing YouTube channel as part of the promotion for Katie Taylor vs Chantelle Cameron. "The other cat's a bit windy. He's a donkey that guy, the other cat, but a donkey has kick, so you've got to be weary of that. But Nate will be peppering him, he'll hit his face in and it will be Nate."
The feud between McGregor and Diaz led to two of the UFC's biggest ever pay-per-view events, with the American stepping in on short notice in March of 2016 and stunning the world to win their first bout. Their rematch the following summer at UFC 202 broke records at the gate and on PPV, with McGregor getting the victory second time around.
Who do you think wins between Jake Paul and Nate Diaz? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
"It is competitive, but it’s always been respect,” McGregor said of his relationship with Diaz. “It’s always been respect, how could you not respect the Diaz brothers and their résumé in the fight game. Real fighters, what’s his promotion? Real fighters inc, fair play to him. He’s a great fighter.
“I spent, how many minutes did I spend in the octagon with him? 40 minutes, over half an hour. Around 40 minutes inside the cage with the lad, it’s always going to be respect off of that. And he gave the rematch instantly. That’s commendable, that’s real warrior stuff. So, for sure, I’m happy to see that respect.”
Later in the day, McGregor completely disregarded the possibility of a bout with Paul when asked by Mirror Fighting, before confirming his plans for a comeback in the octagon later this year. He will face Michael Chandler, with the date to be announced during this season of The Ultimate Fighter, which goes to air next week.
