YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul has been gunning for Conor McGregor since he started his professional career in combat sports.
Paul, a 5-0 boxing prospect, is set to face MMA legends almost three years after his first professional bout. Anderson SilvaIn a 187lb catchweight fight on October 29.
If he is victorious against Silva, big fights with Tommy Fury and Nate Diaz are on the table for ‘The Problem Child’, who previously named McGregor on his ‘Hitlist’ of dream opponents.
‘Notorious’ is joined by Canelo Alvarez, Kamaru Usman, Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz, Tyson Fury, KSI, Gervonta Davis, Mike Tyson and brother Logan on the list of potential foes.
The ideal scenario is for McGregor to fight McGregor. McGregor has only boxed professionally once, and that was against Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
“I think the biggest fight there is McGregor,” Paul told SunSport.
“Just because the press conferences would be off the charts. And from a boxing perspective, it’s a very high-level bout.”
While Mayweather and Tyson would be more respectable names on his record, Paul believes ‘Money’ has no interest in boxing professionally again and ‘Iron Mike’ is a bit too old at this point.
“I don’t think Floyd would fight me in an actual bout, which would decrease interest,” he added.
“Mike Tyson is older, it’s obviously still huge but that’s why I think McGregor is the biggest name there, for sure.”
Mayweather retired after beating McGregor in August 2017 but has since been topping up his bank account by taking lucrative exhibition fights against internet celebrities and MMA fighters – he’ll fight YouTuber DejiNovember 13
Tyson, along with Roy Jones Jr., returned to the ring for a 2020 exhibition. However, the 56-year old has not shown any interest in fighting again two-years later.
Fighting with KSIPaul doesn’t consider Paul the best choice, but he does believe they need to work together in order to resolve their differences.
Paul added: “I think the KSI story needs an ending, it just keeps continuing and it’s right there.
“And that’s the one that everybody wants. I would also avenge my brother’s loss.”
KSI returned to the ring in August for the first time since picking up a win over ‘The Maverick’ in his professional boxing debut three years ago.
The Brit made up the time lost by knocking out Swarmz and professional fighter Luis Alcarez Pineda on one card. He then announced that he will fight again in Jan 2023.
Paul has plenty of options.
McGregor’s decision to end talk of a rematch against Mayweather, and to announce his intention to win UFC welterweight in 2023 makes it unlikely that McGregor will be returning to the ring.
