Conor McGregor is returning to the ring instead of the Octagon.
Or so he says.
On Wednesday, the Irish fighter tweeted that he has agreed to box Logan Paul in an exhibition in India, while shooting down rumors of a possible UFC fight with Ilia Topuria.
“The rumors of a bout with [Topuria] are false,” McGregor said. “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.”
McGregor is one of the highest-grossing fighters in UFC history, but he hasn’t fought since 2021 when he broke his leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier. He was supposed to fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June but withdrew due to a foot injury.
While he hasn’t fought lately, he’s been in the public eye. In November, McGregor was found liable for sexual assault by a civil jury in Ireland, six years after a woman accused him of raping her in a Dublin hotel room.
He was ordered to pay $264,000 to the woman but said he intends to appeal the decision. He is not facing any criminal charges from the case but lost multiple endorsers, including the company that owns his whiskey brand, Proper 12.
After McGregor shot down rumors of a Topuria fight, the Georgian fighter said he was never interested in such a matchup.
“The rumors of bout with mchicken are false,” Topuria said. “I don’t fight nor am I interested in fighting with a rapist.”
Paul has boxed four times, twice in official fights and twice in exhibitions. One notable exhibition was a 2021 draw against then-44-year-old Floyd Mayweather. His brother, Jake, has had a more successful fighting career, most recently beating Mike Tyson in a Netflix-streamed spectacle. Logan Paul, who like Jake first made his name as a YouTuber, has also regularly appeared in WWE matches since 2021.
McGregor did not say when the fight would take place or who would promote it. Jake Paul’s company, Most Valuable Promotions, put on the Tyson fight in Texas; MVP did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
It’s not clear how the Ambanis are involved, but they are the richest family in Asia, and among the 10 richest in the world, according to Forbes.
Mukesh Ambani, the family’s patriarch, is worth about $120 billion. His fortune stems from his 51% stake in Reliance Industries, a multinational conglomerate that has holdings in energy, retail, and communications, among several sectors. It is the largest company in India.
