Irish superstar Conor McGregor has announced that he has agreed to fight in an exhibition boxing match against YouTube star Logan Paul. The highly anticipated bout will take place in India, making it McGregor’s second appearance in a high-profile boxing event after his famous fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017.
McGregor, a former two-division UFC champion, took to social media to say that rumours of his return to the mixed martial arts ring to face Spanish star Ilia Topuria were false. Instead, he confirmed that he was in the preliminary stages of negotiations with the Ambani family for the bout.
“The rumors about me fighting [Ilya] Topuria are false,” McGregor said in a post on the X platform.
“I am in preliminary negotiations with the Ambani family for an exhibition boxing match against Logan Paul in India. I have agreed. After that, I will be looking to return to the UFC ring.”
The bout comes after a stellar MMA career for McGregor, but he hasn’t fought since breaking his leg in his 2021 bout against Dustin Poirier. He was expected to face Michael Chandler at UFC 303, but pulled out due to a foot injury.
Logan Paul, who rose to fame as a YouTube star before turning to boxing, has had several exhibition matches, including a famous fight against Floyd Mayweather that ended in a draw. He also has one boxing win against MMA fighter Dillon Danis.
McGregor noted that the fight will be held under the patronage of the Ambani family, headed by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, who has a personal fortune estimated at $120 billion according to Forbes magazine.
The event is expected to attract huge global interest, as it brings together two of the most controversial figures in sports and entertainment. With McGregor returning to boxing for the first time since his 10th-round loss to Mayweather, sports fans are looking forward to witnessing a unique encounter.
McGregor has confirmed that he will return to the MMA ring after this event, raising questions about his future in the UFC. However, this bout represents a new step in his career, as he seeks to leverage his global fame to achieve more success in and out of the ring.
The question remains: Will this fight be just a show or a sporting event that will go down in boxing history? Fans around the world are eagerly awaiting the answer.