The boxing ring is no stranger to UFC superstar Conor McGregor. The Irishman fought against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017 and it delivered a windfall to him. McGregor is gunning for another prizefight that will pit him with Manny Pacquiao but YouTube celebrity Jake Paul is calling on The Notorious to face him first.
Paul did box before and came out the victor, and he's doing it again with former NBA star Nate Robinson in an undercard fight for the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. money-spinner. The YouTuber is convinced he'd conquer Robinson and already, he is lining up McGregor as the next opponent.
If McGregor will agree, the MMA star will again crossover from the octagon, and Paul said the superstar has no reason to say no. He argued that fighting him is the better for the two-division titleholder as the McGregor vs. Paul will prove to be the perfect showdown.
McGregor lost against Mayweather in his first professional boxing try and it will be the same if the 32-year-old will meet Pacquiao atop the ring. Paul said his bout with the Irishman is more viable and stressed that it is happening.
However, SB Nation said McGregor facing off with the YouTube star is a terrible mismatch. For one, Paul climbed the ring once as a light heavyweight when McGregor is at his most optimal level as a lightweight. There is no way the Irishman will make a big adjustment for the exhibition fight.
And it's hard to imagine that McGregor will take on seriously a challenge from a newbie fighter, whose boxing credits are remotely impressive. The Notorious is an experienced ring warrior and for him, there is no honor in even considering a few rounds with Paul, the report added.
However, what is certainly more compelling for McGregor is his imminent return to the UFC and the thought of picking a fight with a string of star fighters in the boxing ring and octagon alike. He will do a rematch with Dustin Poirier on January 23, 2021, and the bigger fight dates are expected to follow.
There are talks of slugging it out with the undefeated UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov or another date on the ring with Pacquiao. McGregor can also have another go with Mayweather as that fight made him a rich man.
Mirror reported that while McGregor emerged the loser in the Mayweather-McGregor prizefight, his one-day paycheck for the trouble was of the dizzying amount. The MMA artist took home an estimated €72 million purse.
When calculated, the Irishman made €660,000 per punch in the Mayweather-McGregor match as he let out a total of 111 punches. That is why if given another shot, McGregor is sure to box against any of the big names such as Mayweather or Pacquaio. But it will be a stretch for him to go against someone like Paul.
