Perhaps unsurprisingly for a group of people who get punched in the head for a job, professional fighters aren’t the easiest bunch to get along with. Yet, Irish superstar MMA fighter Conor McGregor manages to make most other people who make their living battering others seem like mild-mannered teddy bears. His most recent outburst comes as former YouTuber and social media personality turned boxer Jake Paul prepares to take on former MMA fighter Nate Diaz in a boxing match.
Of course, Paul, a notorious hothead and big mouth even before he bulked up and became a boxer, isn’t entirely blameless in the feud, having called out McGregor by name multiple times in the past few years. This is despite the fact the famous Irishman hasn’t boxed since his big-money fight with former world champion (and possibly the best pound-for-pound boxer of all time, depending on who you ask) Floyd Mayweather. But this lack of action hasn’t stopped the ex-YouTuber from running his mouth. And, in recent months, Conor has finally had enough and begun snapping back.
His most recent comments about Paul came in an interview with Ariel Helwani on the Matchroom YouTube channel, in which McGreggor discussed his upcoming business ventures, a return to fighting action, and lots of other topics. Although the former MMA fighter refused to mention Paul by name when asked about the fight between Diaz and the social media star, due to take place on Aug. 5 in Dallas, Texas, he had plenty to say about the situation in general. Despite having a pretty intense rivalry with Diaz, McGreggor was keen to back him, stating:
“I fancy him (Nate) for it, to be honest. Your man [Paul] is a bit windy. The other cat is a bit windy, you know. But, he’s a donkey. That guy is a donkey, the other cat. A donkey has a kick as well, so you’ve just got to be wary of that. But I just think it should be Nate.”
This isn’t the first time McGreggor has clapped back at the ex-social media star, having previously referred to him and his brother Logan as “dingbats.” And, since he became engaged with the banter, he’s been consistently asked about all the fights the Pauls are involved in, and even if he’d be willing to take on one in a matchup.
Things have become even more intense since Paul revealed he signed with the Professional Fighters’ League (PFL) earlier this year. The PFL is set to rival the more well-known UFC, which made McGreggor the star he is today.
The new fighting organization is set to operate on a pay-per-view basis that only takes on fighters who have huge followings, thus drawing customers instead of focusing on helping fighters to gain titles and build their careers in a traditional way. Paul owns equity in the PFL, so has a huge stake in it being a success, which many believe is why he’s pushed so hard for his fight with Diaz.
In response, the “notorious one” (McGreggor) claimed the “problem child” (Paul) was a “wally,” which, as far as McGregor’s disses go, is a bit light. However, when the full context of the quote is given, it’s a lot more damning, with the Irishman questioning Paul’s business smarts in a now-deleted tweet.
“Numbnuts gave away 50 per cent of a future purse if he does an MMA bout? Wow. What an idiot. Joint partnership what? For what you Wally. Wally.”
While there’s no doubt Paul has leveraged his brand into brilliant financial success, McGregor is no slouch either. He joined UFC as a fighter a decade ago, while on the equivalent of unemployment benefits, but is now one of the richest sportsmen in the world thanks to his brilliant branding and unique personality. In fact, according to Forbes, he was worth more than global superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James in 2021, when he topped the list of richest sports stars in the world. He also made tens of millions recently by selling his whiskey brand Proper 12.
For now, it seems this feud will continue to simmer, only bubbling up when interviewers ask one or the other about a potential fight. Whether or not that will come in the ring or octagon is another question, but we can be sure if it does happen, it’ll be a tasty bout.