Controversial Irish Mixed Martial Arts star Connor McGregor has teased his much-anticipated return to the fighting arena. Taking on Twitter on Tuesday, 17 December, McGregor said that he has accepted a boxing exhibition match against Logan Paul, set to be fought in India and promoted by the Ambani family.
McGregor has not entered the UFC Octagon since his loss to Dustin Poirier in 2021. In that fight, McGregor had broken his leg and the doctor was forced to stop the fight. the Irish fighter has since delayed his return to the ring, the latest of which was his fight against Michael Chandler, originally set to be held in July 2024. However, McGregor had to pull out of the fight due to a broken toe.
The fighter reacted to the rumours of his UFC return and said that the news of him fighting Ilia Topuria were false. He however teased an exhibition match – a common occurrence these days in the boxing world against YouTuber Logan Paul. However, the most interesting part of McGregor’s statement was when he revealed that the fight was expected to take place in India with the Ambani family as the promoter.
“The rumors of a bout with Topurio 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,” Connor McGregor said on Twitter.
Logan Paul’s Boxing Career
YouTuber Logan Paul ventured into the world of professional boxing with a fight against his now-business partner Olajide William Olatunji, better known as KSI. Logan Paul has a mixed record in the boxing arena but has found significant media attention in his short career.
Early Fights and Rivalry with KSI
Logan Paul’s boxing career began with a highly publicised amateur bout against fellow YouTuber KSI on August 25, 2018. This fight, which took place at the Manchester Arena, ended in a draw, setting the stage for a professional rematch. The second fight, held on November 9, 2019, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, was a legitimate cruiserweight bout without headguards. KSI won this rematch via a split decision, with Logan Paul being deducted two points in the fourth round for illegally punching KSI while he was down.
Exhibition Bout with Floyd Mayweather
One of the most notable fights in Logan Paul’s career was an exhibition bout against the legendary boxer Floyd Mayweather on June 6, 2021. This non-scored bout saw Mayweather dominate the fight, landing 43 punches out of 107 thrown, while Logan Paul managed to land only 28 out of 217 attempts. Despite the clear disparity in performance, the fight was not officially scored, and no winner was declared.
Recent Fights and Current Record
Logan Paul’s most recent boxing fight was against Dillon Danis on October 14, 2023, as part of the MF & DAZN: X Series 10 – The Prime Card. Paul won this fight via disqualification, marking his first official win in professional boxing.
As of now, Logan Paul’s boxing record stands at one win, two draws, and one loss. Here is a summary of his professional boxing record:
Win: 1 (against Dillon Danis via disqualification on October 14, 2023)
Draws: 2 (one against KSI in the amateur bout and the exhibition against Floyd Mayweather, though the latter was not officially scored)
Loss: 1 (against KSI via split decision on November 9, 2019).
McGregor’s Found Guilty of Assault
While Logan Paul is making waves with his performances in the WWE, his opponent Connor McGregor has been in the news for other reasons. A jury in Ireland decided on November 22, that Conor McGregor assaulted a woman at a party in Dublin in 2018 and must pay her nearly 250,000 euros ($259,950) in damages.
The jury of eight women and four men reached its verdict in the civil trial at Ireland’s high court after six hours and 10 minutes of deliberation. The plaintiff, Nikita Hand, alleged that McGregor sexually assaulted her on Dec. 9, 2018, and that another man, James Lawrence, did the same, the court heard during two weeks of evidence.
The jury found that Lawrence did not assault Hand. McGregor left the court through a large scrum of reporters without commenting and later posted on X that he planned to appeal the decision.
McGregor, 36, denied the allegation and said he had “fully consensual sex” with Hand. He also denied causing bruising to the plaintiff.
Hand’s lawyer told the jury that when she was referred to a sexual assault treatment unit the day after the alleged assault, a doctor was so concerned that he directed that photographs be taken of her injuries.
Hand said that she and a friend made contact with McGregor, who she knew, after a work Christmas party. She said they were driven by McGregor to a party in a penthouse room of a south Dublin hotel where drugs and alcohol were consumed.
She said McGregor took her a bedroom in the penthouse and sexually assaulted her.
Speaking outside the court, Hand said she was overwhelmed by the support she had received and that she felt vindicated.
