Jake Paul is steadily carving his path toward the world championship he envisioned when he turned pro in 2020. And his June 28th victory over former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. only added a significant boost to his résumé, marking a pivotal moment in his boxing journey. And just days before that triumph, the 12-1 boxer was already teasing his next move, a long-rumored bout with Conor McGregor. But if the fight does happen, it looks like “The Notorious” won’t be making his return in the UFC. Why?

Before we get into that, let’s understand something. Though critics have often downplayed Paul’s opponents as past their prime, his performance against Chavez Jr. showed notable improvements in both power and technique. Riding the momentum of his sixth consecutive win, Paul demonstrated poise and control, especially in the early rounds, which ultimately secured the decision despite a late surge from Chavez Jr. Now more confident than ever, Jake Paul is setting his sights on bigger names, and he made that clear during his recent appearance on the JAXXON Podcast. That’s where McGregor’s potential return was suggested.

Just a few hours ago, the JAXXON Podcast shared a clip from their interview with Jake Paul, captioned, “@jakepaul joins @beardegidio and @rampagejackson on the #jaxxonpodcast…” In the clip, one of the hosts posed a direct question: “So if Conor McGregor said he wanted to fight you, you’d hundred percent do it? Would you do it in MMA?” Jake Paul didn’t hesitate. “I’ll fight him in MMA. That’s what I said,” he replied.

Surprised by the response, the host pressed again: “You’ll fight Conor McGregor in MMA?” Jake Paul, who is currently involved with the PFL, reaffirmed with confidence, “Yeah, 100 percent.” Of course, facing Conor McGregor is no small task. The former UFC Featherweight and Lightweight Champion made history as the first UFC fighter to hold titles in two divisions simultaneously. So naturally, the host followed up: “How would you fight him?” prompting The Problem Child to respond with a lighthearted jab: “With my hands.”

That answer wasn’t enough for the host, who dug deeper: “Like you would wrestle him? You tryna strike with him?” Paul explained, “He [Conor] would probably try to take it to the ground after he like felt the pop. So I probably just work on Jiu Jitsu, but I have take down defence right? I was a wrestler in high school.” the 12-1 boxer further went on to mention that he wrestled Dean Heil, the former three-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion, during his freshman year.

Though he pinned El Gallo in 20 seconds, Jake Paul believes his wrestling background gives him a solid base to take on Conor McGregor, even in the octagon, which had been the hunting ground for the 22-6 fighter since 2008, when Jake Paul was just 11 years old and likely still in elementary school. So, with this latest callout, it’s possible Conor McGregor could fight Paul, though perhaps not under the UFC banner. Why? Well, Paul’s problem with Dana White has been known for a long time.

Back in November, Paul even went as far as to say, “Dana White has been a boxing promoter his whole career. All these nut riders need to do their research. His show failed. Couldn’t sell 4K tickets in Dublin with that useless Irish boxer he’s promoting. And he is not fighters first. He’s Dana first. Builds you up and tears you down. Now Conor MCGregor is hostage. Free Conor.” 

For now, a fight in the PFL or an exhibition MMA bout could be on the table. However, this isn’t the only offer floating around for either fighter.

McGregor and Jake Paul hit with Dirty Boxing Challenge by Ex-UFC star

As the second edition of his Dirty Boxing event, ‘DB2,’ wraps up, Mike Perry is basking in his rising status as a fight promoter. But even as he builds his brand outside the cage, the itch to return to the ring clearly remains. And it was during a recent interview with Newsweek, Perry dropped some intriguing hints about his next possible opponents. Perry made it clear he has unfinished business. “I would like to see me versus Darren Till,” he offered when asked about future matchups. But that wasn’t the only name he had in mind.

He followed up with another, more headline-worthy suggestion: “And me versus Jake Paul.” As BKFC’s self-proclaimed ‘King of Violence Champion,’ Perry seems eager to avenge his sixth-round TKO loss to Jake Paul in 2024, this time, on his own terms. Later, when asked about Conor McGregor, who co-owns BKFC, Perry downplayed any tension.

“He’s always talking sh-t. But you know that’s the name of the game. Like we’re fighters, you know what I mean? We don’t need beef to fight,” he said. Still, Perry acknowledged the demand for a showdown between him and McGregor, stating, “Everybody wants to see me and Conor fight in Bare Knuckle.” While the two have never faced each other in any combat sport, Perry did step in for Mike Tyson last year and went six rounds with Jake Paul. With Paul now chasing a potential MMA clash with McGregor, it begs the question: Will the Irishman step into the cage with Jake Paul, or will he take the bare-knuckle route with Perry instead?