Max Headroom 
Conor McGregor wants to meet Logan Paul in the boxing ring. But according to him, the UFC isn’t having it.
In an interview with The Schmo, McGregor claimed that an exhibition bout with Paul that was rumored to be taking place in Mumbai fell through due to the UFC not allowing him to sign a contract for the event. The former two-division champion has been pushing for the bout for the past couple of months, with talk of a $250 million payday, though the rumor was never addressed publicly by India’s billionaire Ambani family, who McGregor said he was in negotiations with.
UFC CEO Dana White publicly shot the idea down, which backs up Mcgregor’s claim that the decision was out of his hands (assuming there was ever actually any decision to be made to begin with).
“The UFC just aren’t into it,” McGregor said. “The offer was there on the table, in writing, both athletes we’ll say—he’s not a fighter—but whatever, both athletes under the TKO banner. UFC, WWE, both rising up. The stock price of TKO Holding Group through the roof. New market in India opened up and booming. It was business savvy and business sense to make the fight happen, 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.
“Logan, he just kept quiet, didn’t say nothing. I was like, you need to say something… I wasn’t talking to him directly. He put up this video and edited it like I’d sent him a voice note. I was talking to the f*cking crowd, that was the Ambani royal family of India, and then they were sending it to him, basically trying to get him to get going. I had no problem doing it.”
McGregor has not competed since breaking his leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. He was set to make a comeback against rival Michael Chandler at UFC 303 this past June, but withdrew from that bout due to a toe injury. Outside-the-cage issues have also plagued him, with the fighter recently being found liable for sexual assault in a civil case tied to a 2018 incident in Dublin, in addition to an ongoing civil suit also connected to an alleged sexual assault in Miami in 2023.
Inactivity has not stopped McGregor from frequently throwing out potential fights on social media and not just aimed at members of the UFC roster. With influencer boxing booming, McGregor sees an opportunity to return to the ring. In August 2017, McGregor took part in a boxing match against the undefeated Floyd Mayweather and though McGregor lost, both fighters reportedly cashed nine-figure paychecks for the crossover fight.
“I am more inclined now for this influencer f*cking whatever you call it because it’s astronomical money,” McGregor said. “It’s astronomical, the figures, so who was that? Jake, Logan, and f*cking KSI. I like the three of these guys and then all the other ones that are tussling around. It’s an interesting little side pocket branch we’ll call it.”
McGregor is currently in Philadelphia fulfilling his duties as part-owner of BKFC and promoting its KnuckleMania 5 event, which takes place Saturday. He has previously said he will one day fight in the bare-knuckle ring and would actually like for it to be a surprise when it happens.
“One of these days you’ll just hear my music go onto the stage of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, and out I come with my fists wrapped, with no gloves and a fight out of nowhere,” McGregor said. “No promo, no nothing, just fighting a random fight on the card, that could be what my future holds.”
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