Conor McGregor has said his next fight could well be against Logan Paul.
McGregor, 36, hasn’t competed in the UFC since July 2021 when he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier.
He was scheduled to fight Michael Chandler on his return to the octagon at UFC 303, but withdrew after injuring his pinky toe.
UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria had called out ‘The Notorious’ after ending the reign of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February.
The Spaniard knocked out Volkanovski in the second round with a devastating right hand, before telling McGregor: “I will be waiting for you in Spain.”
But McGregor has now shut down any rumours of a blockbuster bout with the UFC champion, and has instead confirmed a shocking next fight with Paul.
“The rumours of a bout with [Ilia] Topuria are false,” McGregor said on Tuesday morning via X.
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.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 17, 2024
I have agreed.
I will then seek my return to the Octagon.
“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.”
Conor McGregor has delved into the boxing world just once previously, in what was the sport’s biggest-ever crossover event.
His fight with Floyd Mayweather was billed as ‘The Money Fight’ and ‘The Biggest Fight in Combat Sports History’.
The Irishman shared the ring with Mayweather in August 2017 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but succumbed to a TKO defeat in the 10th round.
‘Money’ Mayweather’s victory extended his professional boxing record to 50 wins and zero defeats, surpassing the 49-0 record of Hall of Famer Rocky Marciano.
Conor McGregor had become the first person to hold two UFC belts simultaneously after knocking out Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 before making his pro boxing debut.
Paul entered the professional boxing world in his 2019 rematch with British YouTube sensation KSI.
Although he lost the bout, Paul then went on to fight Mayweather himself in an exhibition bout in June 2021, although no winner was announced after the fight went the full eight-round distance.
Paul then battled former Bellator MMA fighter and training partner of McGregor, Dillon Danis, in the co-main event of KSI’s defeat to Tommy Fury.
Danis was disqualified from the embarrassing Manchester bout after attempting to use his wrestling skills to take down Paul in a move which prompted a brawl in the ring.
After the match, Paul took the opportunity to call-out McGregor, saying: “Maybe Conor wants to stand up for his b****, I’ll fight him next.
“Where you at little Leprechaun?”
McGregor responded at the time with a voice note on social media, calling the 29-year-old American a ‘little fool’.
Mukesh Ambani, who McGregor was referring to in his social media post, was reported as ‘Asia’s richest man’ by the BBC in July.
He was ranked first on the Forbes list of India’s 100 richest tycoons in October 2024, with a new worth of $119.5 billion.
Ambani is also the owner of the Indian Premier League’s Mumbai Indians, which Forbes named as the most valuable cricket franchise in India last year, worth $1.3bn.