Jake Paul once considered Conor McGregor the prize fight he most coveted but it seems that desire has long since passed.
With a fight scheduled against Mike Perry on July 20 and a showdown against Mike Tyson in November, Paul doesn’t mention McGregor much these days unless he’s asked. That’s exactly what happened when Paul took aim at McGregor after it was suggested that perhaps the former two-division UFC champion might attend his upcoming fight against Perry, who has become the face of BKFC in recent years.
McGregor famously became a part owner of the bare-knuckle fighting outfit back in April before his own comeback to the UFC was derailed by an injury that forced him out of scheduled bout against Michael Chandler.
“He needs to attend rehab,” Paul countered when asked about McGregor potentially attending his fight. “Look, we can get him a fourth or fifth row ticket. But he’s kind of lost his celebrity and star power. I don’t think people really care about him but I’m sure I could comp him a fourth or fifth row.”
All jokes aside, McGregor remains one of the most talked about athletes in all of combat sports but lately there’s been far more negativity surrounding him that optimism that he’s career is about to get back on track.
After three years away due to a broken leg suffered in his previous fight in 2021, McGregor’s latest setback forced him to drop out of a fight against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 with no signs when that matchup might get rescheduled again.
That’s why Paul believes McGregor’s star power has diminished greatly in his absence and he doesn’t expect “The Notorious” to ever reach those same heights again … assuming he actually returns to fight.
“I would disagree [he’s still the biggest draw],” Paul said. “There’s new sheriffs in town. He hasn’t won a fight in what six or seven years? I don’t even know how long it’s been. He’s embarrassing himself. He’s ruining his legacy with all the drugs and the way he looks online. He’s lost his mind, he’s a maniac.
“At one point, Conor was great. Everyone loved Conor but I feel bad for the guy now. You could say all these things about him but he hasn’t proven it, he hasn’t backed anything up and that’s the way I look at it is from the facts and the numbers.”
Paul also addressed his long standing feud with UFC CEO Dana White, who largely stopped responding to questions about the 27-year-old fighter from Ohio because everything he said only ended up tossing gasoline on an already raging fire.
White did blast Paul getting matched up against Tyson, who turns 58 before they climb in the ring together at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas in November.
He hasn’t said anything yet about the new matchup featuring Perry but Paul doesn’t expect that White would give him his flowers no matter what he’s doing in the sport.
“He’s always going to discredit me and do what Dana does,” Paul said. “Make up rumors about me. He’s the one that started the rumors about my fights being rigged. He’s the one that started the rumors about me being on steroids. I’m his Achilles’ heel. I’m who is fighting and advocating for fighters and working on a fighter’s union to help UFC fighters get paid more. They’re the most underpaid athletes in the world. Of course, he wants to limit me, limit my platform so he would say whatever bullshit he could about this fight.
“But what I listen to is the court of public opinion and everyone and their mom, Jay Glazer, Brendan Schaub, everyone talking about how this is a better fight than Tyson, this makes more sense. Mike Perry’s in his prime. I can’t believe Jake is doing this. Michael Bisping is saying it’s a mistake for Jake to do this but what I like to do is prove people wrong. So Dana will always discredit me but we have Sean O’Malley as part of the W team now so Dana, I know that’s pissing you off, buddy. I’m everywhere. I’m in your head. I’m in your bathroom. I’m up your butt. You can’t get rid of me, baby.”
