Conor McGregor to fight Logan Paul in boxing exhibition, UFC comeback delayed, when will the fight happen, latest news
Conor McGregor has declared he is set to return to combat sports in a boxing match against WWE wrestler and YouTuber Logan Paul.
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McGregor has not fought in the UFC since 2021, when he broke his leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier, and has won just one fight in the last eight years.
His return to the octagon has remained up in the air ever since, including after last month’s civil court ruling that he was liable after a woman accused him of rape. He has maintained the pair had consensual sex.
But McGregor said on social media on Tuesday night he will not return to MMA until after a boxing exhibition against Paul, the brother of fellow YouTuber and boxer Jake Paul.
“The rumors of a bout with (UFC featherweight champion Ilia) Topurio (Topuria) are false,” McGregor tweeted.
“I am in preliminary agreements with the Ambani family to face Logan Paul in a boxing exhibition in India. I have agreed. I will then seek my return to the Octagon.”
McGregor is 0-1 as a boxer, losing to Floyd Mayweather via TKO back in 2017, while Paul fought Mayweather to a draw in an exhibition in 2021. Mayweather declared afterwards he would have won in the first round “if it was a real fight”.
Paul has also fought business partner KSI twice, with a draw and a loss, and beaten MMA fighter Dillon Danis in exhibition bouts.
He is more recently well-known for his impressive run in WWE, making one of the best debuts in modern pro wrestling history, including winning the United States Championship in late 2023.
Paul recently claimed he was retired from wrestling, having made a fortune through his energy drink, but it is thought he’s more likely to make sporadic appearances over the next few years.
He has also battled controversy throughout his career, most notably for offensive behaviour in Japan including showing a victim of suicide in an infamous forest, and for his role promoting a failed crypto venture.