Conor McGregor says UFC shut down Logan Paul bout, threatens surprise BKFC fight

Conor McGregor is still driven to face one of the Paul brothers inside a boxing ring despite admitting the UFC brass shut down his most recent attempt.

Several weeks ago, surprising reports surfaced that McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) was in talks to face WWE star and YouTuber Logan Paul in a boxing match in India for a potential price tag of $250 million each. More credence started to build about the possibility, but UFC CEO Dana White recently said it would not happen, and Paul emphasized his focus on his professional wrestling career.

McGregor and both Logan and his brother Jake were at Donald Trumps' Presidential Inauguration this week, and crossed paths on a bus to the event. Both Paul brothers poked fun at McGregor for not being able to escape the promotional power of his current UFC contract, and now the former two-division UFC champion has confirmed that the it was indeed the company brass that swatted the idea away.

"It is what it is," McGregor told "The Schmo" on Thursday. "The UFC just aren't into it. The offer was there on the table, in writing. Both athletes will say, 'He's not fighting,' but both athlete are under the TKO banner. UFC, WWE both rising up. The stock price of TKO Holding Ground (is) 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. The WWE, I'm not sure what their interest in it was. I just knew the UFC weren't into it."

McGregor, 36, hasn't seen combat sports competition since he suffered a broken leg in his July 2021 trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier. He was scheduled to return from a nearly three-year layoff against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June, but withdrew due to a toe injury just a few weeks prior to the event.

Additionally, in December, McGregor was found liable for sexual assault by a jury in a case stemming from a 2018 incident.

The Irishman indicated he wants to get back to the cage soon, and even threatened to compete in an unapproved out-of-contract bout for BKFC, a promotion in which he is part owner.

"One of these days you'll just hear my music come onto this stage in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship and I'll have my fist wrapped with no gloves for a fight, out of nowhere," McGregor said. "No promotion. No promo. No nothing. Just fighting a random fight on the card. That could be what future holds. And legal making claims and all this, that's for p*ssies."

In closing, McGregor stated that he is not giving up hope on fighting Jake or Logan Paul in the future. He also named KSI as a potential opponent. One thing he made clear, however, is that the money being thrown around to face those type of names is of significant interest.

"I'm more inclined now for this influencer f*cking, whatever you call it – because it's astronomical money," McGregor said. "It's astro-nomical, the figures. Who is there? Jake. Logan. KSI. I like the three of these guys and then all these other ones that are tussling around. So it's an interesting little side pocket branch, we'll call it. Stuff it down me sock and out I go."

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This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Conor McGregor says UFC shut down Logan Paul bout, threatens surprise BKFC fight