In a curveball to fight fans, especially those awaiting ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor’s return to the Octagon, the Irishman announced an exhibition boxing match with former WWE United States champion Logan Paul. In a message posted on his official X account, McGregor shared that he and Paul are in talks to organize a boxing match to be held in India. Taking to his X account, he wrote, “The rumors of a bout with [Topuria] are false. 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.”

Now the internet is buzzing with everyone talking about this major update and what it means for the future of the two fighters. While many are in support of the fight, sports journalist Stephen Anthony Smith has dropped a major truth bomb on McGregor that might make the fighter pull out and ruin the Ambanis’ plans to have a big-money fight. The boxing pundit has claimed that ‘The Notorious’ might actually lose the fight to Logan Paul considering his lack of expertise in boxing and a much smaller size.

Speaking on ESPN’s First Take, Smith said, “I think Logan Paul is going to beat him. Logan Paul is going to win because I don’t think Conor is a boxer; he’s a striker. He’s just sitting up there, not even throwing. You ain’t clipping Logan Paul like that. No, you have to do more than that.” He further added, “I just think that Logan Paul is bigger. Um, he’s a much bigger man, and he’s a more experienced boxer.” Well, it is a very valid point since Conor McGregor is 5 ft 8 inches (173 cm) tall, while Logan Paul on the other hand is much taller with a height of 6 ft 2 inches (188 cm).

Adding more woes to the ones mentioned by Smith in the interview, it is also worth noting that the Irishman will have a lot of ring rust, since has been missing action since July 2021. During his fight against Dustin Poirier, the Irishman suffered a broken tibia that kept him sidelines for a long time. This major announcement came as shocking news for many since UFC fans expected that he would mark his return against Michael Chandler, as the two were set to fight before Conor McGregor withdrew due to a broken toe. Even if it wasn’t Chandler who the Irishman was previously scheduled to fight, Ilia Topuria is making news as the possible opponent, especially after the recent bad war of words between the two.

The tug of war-between Conor McGregor and Ilia Topuria

For some time now, both Conor McGregor and Ilia Topuria have been taking potshots at each other. The last blow was thrown by the Irishman, criticizing the statements of the Spanish-Georgian about his intention to move up a weight class. A dart that Topuria has not let go of and has not hesitated to respond to the Irishman’s messages, bringing up his recent legal case into the mix.

McGregor, trying to deflect attention from rumors about him fighting ‘El Matador’, revealed the plans for his boxing duel with Logan Paul, before the UFC featherweight champion responded to him on X. Using a play on words with the Irishman’s name, he wrote, “Rumors of a fight with McChicken are false. I don’t fight nor am I interested in a fight with a r—-t.” For the unaware, this response points to recent legal troubles for McGregor, who was convicted in civil court that forced him to pay €248,000 in damages to the plaintiff, Nikita Hand, for a 2018 incident.

As McGregor tries to appeal the court’s ruling and proclaims his innocence, fans are of the belief that his recent actions appear to be an attempt to maintain his relevance in the fighting world, even if it’s through exhibition bouts and more commercial moves. After all, he has been let go by several brands as their brand ambassador and is now struggling to fix his public image. But what do you think? Is the Logan Paul-Conor McGregor fight actually going to happen? Let us know in the comments.