Dumb and dumber. That’s how we’re describing the potential matches being discussed for Conor McGregor right now.
There was a time not too long ago when McGregor was working on a return to the UFC where he planned on becoming the first three-division champion in the promotion’s history. But a broken pinky toe derailed his 2024 attempt, and now in 2025 he’s not even pretending to plot a serious return.
Instead, “The Notorious” is angling for a fight against Logan Paul in India, where the very wealthy Ambani family is looking to splash some serious cash to raise the prestige of their Sports18 network. But things have gotten more complicated as Jake Paul’s name is now in the mix as well to fight the first UFC double champ.
Sources have told MMAMania.com that Conor McGregor is dead set on making the Ambani fight happen, which would earn him a purse worth hundreds of millions. This is a situation similar to the Floyd Mayweather fight, which the Irish sports star willed into existence despite the UFC’s initial (extreme) disapproval.
McGregor opened a +120 underdog to Logan Paul, who is somehow a -150 favorite. The odds for Mac are even worse against Jake Paul, who weighed in at 227 pounds for his fight against Tyson. McGregor did his best work in the UFC at 145 pounds, held the 155 pound belt for a second, and has fought a few lightweights at 170 pounds. That size difference and boxing rules are enough to have bookies believing McGregor has little chance … if the fight happens.
The switch from Logan to Jake Paul is a bit of a curveball and feels like it could be a poison pill designed to derail the whole process. Logan Paul is already under contract with UFC parent company TKO. He’s ready to go. Jake Paul works with former UFC CFO Nakisa Bidarian, and both men are on UFC CEO Dana White’s shitlist.
The UFC is already playing games with Conor McGregor in order to keep him from hitting free agency after two more fights. Are they now looking to waste Jake Paul’s time too? Any normal company would just take the nine-figure payday to let the two men fight. And hey, maybe that’s how things will go now that the org chart flows from Endeavor to TKO to UFC. But we can’t help but speculate that behind-the-scenes machinations will result in the whole thing getting dragged out and falling apart.
What’s your prediction for 2025’s silliest fight? Let us know in the comments below, Maniacs!
