Jake Paul outlines biggest obstacle to mega-fight with UFC star Conor McGregor

YouTube star Paul has been calling for a bout with McGregor since his brutal knockout win over Nate Robinson last year, but he hasn’t endeared himself to UFC president Dana White

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Jake Paul and Conor McGregor would be able to set up a mega-fight, if it weren’t for UFC boss Dana White.

That’s according to social media star Paul, who insists that the Irishman’s management are aware of possible fight offers that could net him tens of millions, but can’t do anything under his current contract.

Paul is managed by ex-UFC CFO Nakisa Bidarian, who was woth the company during McGregor’s rise to pay-per-view stardom, and the YouTube star insists that he is still close with McGregor’s manager Audie Attar of Paradigm Sports.

And he believes that the fight will eventually happen, once White has realised that the Irishman doesn’t have many more exciting fights with the MMA promotion.

“I think Dana White is obstacle No.1,” Paul explained during an episode of In Depth with Graham Bensinger when asked about the possible fight.

“If Dana would ever let Conor out of his contract to set up the boxing match, I think that’s what is needed to make it happen.

“And I think that will, I think it will happen and if Conor is going to just continue to lose fights – he’s 1-4 in the past five years – then there’s not much Dana will be able to do with him anyway.

“So cash him out one more time, but his manager is good friends with my manager and another one of my advisors and they talk constantly about making it happen.

“They’re like ‘yeah we’re down, we’re about it’.”

Paul has not endeared himself to White during his young boxing career, making a number of crude comments about the UFC boss.

White has inferred that Paul’s bout with Ben Askren was fixed, and also claimed the YouTuber has lied about his ability to draw pay-per-view sales.

McGregor is the No.1 one PPV star in combat sport, particularly since the retirements of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

And Paul says that White is a “control freak”, who is inadvertently raising his stock by talking negatively in the media about his recent boxing matches.

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“Not for me,” Paul responded when asked if the rivalry between the pair had become personal. “I think it is for him.

“Because he’s this old guy who is clearly a control freak and I’m the only one that’s able to get under his skin.

“I’m just a young kid having fun, Dana has the audience that I want and he doesn’t realise that he’s just playing into my game.

“I have the YouTube audience, the digital audience, TikTok all that, but what I want is the fight fans who will pay 60, 70 or 80 dollars to see me fight.

“All he’s doing is making me ten times more relevant in that space by playing my game.”

Paul is set to face Tyron Woodley, the former UFC welterweight champion, for a second time on Saturday night, while McGregor is expected to return next summer after suffering a broken leg in his last fight.