Jake Paul shuts down fight against Conor McGregor
Jake Paul has changed his tune after years of calling out Conor McGregor. The influencer-turned-boxer defeated one of McGregor’s biggest rivals, Nate Diaz, and shut down the idea of a fight against McGregor.
Paul made his opinion of McGregor clear in his post-fight press conference. (Quote via TheScore.)
“I don’t care about that guy,” Paul said, according to MMA Junkie. “He needs to go to rehab. I want Nate in MMA. I want more professional boxers. And I want Canelo (Alvarez).”
Paul’s dismissal of McGregor is quite surprising. The pay-per-view draw power of McGregor provides a serious reason for Paul to try and draw him into the ring. After all, there is a reason Paul called McGregor out all the way back in 2020. Not to mention, earlier this year he claimed he wanted to fight McGregor in boxing and MMA.
It is strange that Paul is suddenly stopping his relentless pursuit of a fight against McGregor. It seems like it is more possible than ever. McGregor’s contract with the UFC certainly presents hurdles, but a win over Diaz likely got McGregor’s attention.
At the end of the day, this may just be a strategic move from Paul. The years of pleading for a fight against McGregor have not paid off so he is switching to being dismissive in the hopes he gets a response. It is worth a shot.
McGregor is currently in talks for a return to the UFC octagon. The Irish superstar has been out of commission since breaking his leg in his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier, but he is finally healthy again. Now, he is in public negotiations to either fight Michael Chandler or Justin Gaethje. It would be assumed he fights Chandler because the pair coached The Ultimate Fighter Season 31 against one another; however, he called out Gaethje after UFC 291.
Regardless of if McGregor fights Chandler or Gaethje, the outcome of that bout will greatly affect his combat sports future. If he gets a win, his MMA career would be too hot to leave for a Paul fight. If he loses, that could change.
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