Conor McGregor on boxing match vs. Logan Paul: ‘UFC just aren’t into it’

Conor McGregor made an appearance at a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship press conference this week and gave an update on his fighting future.

Jan 24, 2025 - 21:22
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Conor McGregor on boxing match vs. Logan Paul: ‘UFC just aren’t into it’

Conor McGregor made a fashionably late appearance at a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship press conference ahead of Saturday’s BKFC Knucklemania V event.

The former two-weight UFC champion is a part owner of the bare-knuckle boxing organization and delivered a prepared speech Thursday while main event fighters Eddie Alvarez and Jeremy Stephens sat on stage.

McGregor has a history with both fighters. He became the UFC’s 155-pound champion in 2016 by knocking out Alvarez at UFC 205 and earlier that year had a viral moment with Stephens at a UFC press conference. 

Following his speech Thursday, McGregor said during an interview with The Schmo that his proposed boxing match with YouTuber-turned-WWE-star Logan Paul won’t be happening after all.

“It is what it is. The UFC just aren’t into it,” McGregor said

McGregor, 36, announced in December he was “in preliminary agreements with the Ambani family” to face Paul in India in an exhibition bout.

Though neither McGregor nor Paul are boxers, both have previously competed in the sport and both have fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. McGregor is still under contract with the UFC and Paul is under contract with WWE; both organizations share the same parent company.

“The offer was there on the table, in writing,” McGregor explained. “Both athletes — people will say (about Logan), ‘He’s not a fighter,’ but both athletes are under the TKO banner — UFC, WWE both rising up. The stock price of (TKO Group Holdings) through the roof, new market in India opened up and booming. It was business savvy and business sense to make the fight, or should I say the glorified spar, happen.

“In between this waiting period that we find ourselves in before I can get back to the Octagon, it made perfect sense on the calendar to go ahead with it. The UFC weren’t into it. I’m not sure the WWE what their interest in it was. I just knew the UFC weren’t into it.”

McGregor’s eventful week began with him attending the U.S. presidential inauguration alongside other prominent UFC figures such as commentator Joe Rogan and fellow two-division champions Jon Jones and Georges St-Pierre.

The Irish star happened to cross paths and shared a bus with Paul and his younger brother, Jake Paul, who has previously challenged McGregor to boxing matches.

Jake Paul has become the most successful celebrity boxer of the decade with notable victories over Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley, Ben Askren, Mike Perry, McGregor’s longtime rival Nate Diaz and most recently boxing legend Mike Tyson in November in a lucrative event that aired live on Netflix.

While at Thursday’s press conference, McGregor also referenced his desire to one day compete in a bare-knuckle match.

The former featherweight and lightweight champ has not competed in mixed martial arts since breaking his leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier in 2021.

McGregor had a scheduled return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 last June fall apart due to a toe injury. He is also dealing with the fallout of a recent civil jury decision that left him liable for an alleged 2018 assault.

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