Eddie Hearn explains why Jake Paul’s next fight should be against Conor McGregor

Industry-leading boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has explained why he believes Conor McGregor is the ideal next matchup for YouTube sensation Jake Paul.

Paul has become arguably the most valuable prizefighter in combat sports, in one of the weirdest career turns many will ever see.

From a family-friendly YouTube and Disney star to a boxer earning millions in the ring, Jake is no slouch and his fights bring in viewers and dollars in abundance.

He’s never made his desire to fight UFC star Conor McGregor a secret — and now Eddie Hearn is insisting that that is the fight that has to happen.

Jake Paul has been working on securing a fight with McGregor for some time now. In December 2020, he reached out for a $50m fight in an expletive-ridden offer shared on YouTube.

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Since then, there have reportedly been talks held between the two camps, with the YouTuber revealing in July 2021 that it “will happen.” Now, Eddie Hearn has backed him up, saying that it is “the fight.”

“For me, the fight is Conor McGregor,” he told DAZN Boxing. “I keep saying it. I think it’s a good fight. You’ve got the weight difference. Conor McGregor can box. He’s not a boxer but he’s got an amateur background. He’s a lot more accomplished than a Tyron Woodley or a Ben Askren.”

Hearn went on to add that the obvious hurdle is Dana White and the UFC, but commended Jake on getting Dana to engage in these conversations at all, saying that he was “quite shocked” to see the UFC chief post a video addressing Paul.

While this fight is one that has been talked about for well over a year at this point, it’s not yet clear how close it really is to happening.

If and when Conor McGregor vs Jake Paul does eventually happen, though, you can guarantee it’s going to do gargantuan numbers.