Getty Logan Paul gets closer to the UFC with new deal.
Controversial YouTuber Logan Paul just moved one step closer to the UFC. The social media superstar is a huge UFC fan, and he’s long desired to compete in a professional MMA fight. According to Deadline, Paul just signed a managerial contract with WME.
Why does that move Paul one step closer to the UFC?
Well, it’s because WME is the parent company of the UFC, so Paul would seem to be at least a step closer to potentially competing for the UFC down the line should UFC president Dana White ever want to dip into the basket that is Paul’s impressive celebrity status.
Before you lose your mind over that idea, consider how possible you thought Paul’s last fight was before it happened.
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Was Mayweather vs. Paul Prelude to UFC Fight?
Paul recently competed in a boxing exhibition bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
While most boxing pundits would agree that Mayweather would likely have been declared the winner in the bout had its special rules allowed judges, most would also probably say Paul did a lot better than people thought he would.
Paul remains officially 0-1 as a professional boxer, but he just went eight rounds with the best boxer of generation, Mayweather, and he’s said in the past that he also desires to compete in an MMA fight.
While MMA fighters don’t typically just jump right up to the UFC ranks, the same could be said about pro boxers jumping up to fight the likes of Mayweather, too.
It just doesn’t happen.
But Paul’s massive celebrity following and the 26-year-old’s willingness to put himself in fights has created all sorts of interesting promotional opportunities as of late.
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CM Punk and James Toney Also Got UFC Fights
Besides, it’s not as if White hasn’t made similar moves in the past.
After all, he gave former WWE superstar CM Punk two UFC fights before deciding the novice MMA fighter was way out of his league, and he put former boxing champion James Toney directly into the Octagon against decorated UFC champion Randy Couture, too.
Look, White didn’t hesitate to make those fights happen because they were good for his brand, and everyone who believes he would not put Paul in a UFC fight if it made financial sense for his company to do so is just plain kidding themselves.
Paul doesn’t have the MMA credentials that typically warrant an invitation to a UFC fight, but he might just be on his way to getting one someday anyway.
If that happens in the future, people will probably look back to when Paul signed with UFC’s parent company WME as the legit start of that movement.
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