UFC legend Conor McGregor has ruled out a boxing match against influencer Jake Paul in August, but did tease a return to the ring in the future.
Jake Paul has been trying to secure a bout against The Notorious for quite some time now, frequently calling out the former champion at every possible turn.
The YouTuber has gone so far as challenging UFC President Dana White to let him fight McGregor in the octagon – on the condition that if he loses, he would donate his purse to fighters on the undercard. However, the offer went without a deal being reached.
Now, with McGregor heading back to the UFC and Jake Paul looking for an opponent for his boxing match in August, the Irishman has dismissed a chance that he would be fighting the influencer in his return.
McGregor wants to box again, but Jake Paul will have to wait
During an interview with Sky Sports, McGregor was asked about boxing again in the future, with his last time in the ring coming in 2017 against Floyd Mayweather.
“Boxing is my first love in combat sports. I had such a great time the last time I was out there,” he said. However, he dismissed the possibility that his next fight would be in the boxing ring.
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“Obviously, my return will be inside the octagon for the UFC and mixed martial arts. That story is far from over. In fact, that story is just being written, it’s just the beginning — so that’s where I’ll make my return,” he added.
Conor McGregor: "Boxing is my first love in combat sports. Obviously my return will be for the UFC in MMA. That's where I will make my return, but boxing, I will grace the squared circle again for sure in the future." [@SkySports]
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) May 29, 2022
That said, McGregor further stated that he would “grace the squared circle again for sure in the future,” but provided no timeline on when that would be.
So far, McGregor doesn’t have an opponent lined up for his eventual UFC return. With The Notorious coming off two consecutive losses to Dustin Poirier, some critics such as Joe Rogan have encouraged him to take a “tune-up” fight.
Depending on the outcome of both McGregor and Paul’s upcoming matches, it’s possible we see them duke it out down the line, but it seems like August is completely off the table for the time being.
