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UFC superstar and No. 4 ranked lightweight Conor McGregor will never box YouTube star and professional boxer Jake Paul, according to UFC president Dana White.
“Notorious” (22-4 MMA, 0-1 boxing) is currently preparing for his bout with No. 2 ranked Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 on January 23, 2021, however the Irishman has been called out by Paul multiple times for a boxing match. “The Problem Child” recently boxed NBA point guard Nate Robinson in the co-main event of Triller’s Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr, and he viciously knocked out the three-time Slam Dunk Contest champion in the second round. He has a professional boxing record of 2-0.
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Paul told ESPN after the bout, “I’m dedicating my life to beating Conor McGregor.” He has also called out other MMA stars, including Jorge Masvidal, Ben Askren and Dillon Danis.
In a recent interview with TMZ, White confirmed that there was a “zero” percent chance McGregor would fight Paul.
“Listen, man, I get it. Both these kids, him and his brother (Logan Paul), have done a good job injecting themselves into the fight world,” White said. “I’m a huge Boston Celtics fan, I love Nate Robinson. Nate’s awesome. Have you ever seen basketball fights? Have you ever seen when fights break out on the basketball court? Some of the s***tiest fights you’ll see in your life.
White told the outlet that Paul taking on the much smaller Robinson and fighting McGregor “are two different things.”
White Said McGregor Shouldn’t Be Fighting YouTube Stars
White said putting on fights like Jake Paul vs. Robinson or Logan Paul vs. Floyd Mayweather is not something the UFC president is interested in promoting.
“I get it, there’s a lot of money in it,” White continued. “There’s a market for those kinds of fights, [but] it’s not what I do.”
“There will be a day where Conor McGregor can do these kinds of fights and make a bunch of money,” White said. “Conor McGregor is one of the best fighters on the f****** planet. He’s one of the greatest fighters on Earth right now. He shouldn’t be fighting kids that have f****** YouTube videos.”
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McGregor Takes on Poirier Next Month, White Said Poirier Wants ‘Redemption’
McGregor vs. Poirier at UFC 257 is a rematch over six years in the making. The two, who were featherweights at the time, fought at UFC 178 in 2014 and Notorious won via first-round TKO.
White told TMZ that Poirier is training hard to avenge his loss to the Irishman.
“If you go on his Instagram and check him out in training, he looks great,” White said. “Poirier has wanted this fight for a long time. He’s wanted redemption.”
White hopes to hold an “International Fight Week” for fans around the January 23rd event as it takes place on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE, including three fight cards and pool parties.
“It’s going to be on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi,” White continued. “I’m still working on all the details. I would love to open this thing up to fans. We’re going to do a Saturday, Wednesday [and] Saturday [fight card], hopefully. I would love to do a whole International Fight Week down there with pool parties and I might bring the Nelk Boys out there with me, I don’t know. I’d love to make this thing fun, but these are a lot of the details we’re working on right now.”
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