Will Conor McGregor fight Jake Paul? Joe Rogan teases “warm-up” fight before UFC return
Instagram/thenotoriousmma/jakepaul/youtube/JREPodcast host and UFC commentator Joe Rogan is suggesting Conor McGregor take a “warm-up” fight before jumping back into the octagon against a ranked opponent as Jake Paul continues to call out the Irishman.
YouTuber Jake Paul has an undefeated 5-0 record in boxing and in his last fight, knocked out former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.
With The Problem Child itching to secure a fight against McGregor in either a boxing ring or in MMA, it now seems like Joe Rogan would be a fan of such a matchup.
In an appearance on Mike Tyson’s Hotboxin’ podcast, Rogan made the case for McGregor to take a fight against someone a bit less than championship material in his UFC return.
Jake Paul/Instagram/Andrius Petrucenia, Flickr Joe Rogan encourages Conor McGregor to take easy UFC fight
When asked about Conor McGregor returning to the UFC after suffering an injury against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, Rogan referenced how boxers have tune-up fights.
“I think there’s a reason they’ve been using tune-up fights forever. Astute managers, they know you have to knock the dust off and you’ll be better in the next performance,” Rogan said. “To jump right into a Dustin Poirier or a Michael Chandler, I think what Conor needs to do is what Conor wants to do.”
According to Rogan, if McGregor thinks he could beat Kamaru Usman and become a three-division champion, he should, but if he was Conor’s manager, he’d suggest a “warm-up fight” like he had against Donald Cerrone.
(segment begins at 1:22:50 for mobile users)
“If Conor wants the most chance of success, I’d say fight a guy who is a little below championship level, maybe a guy on the come-up, but it’s still a competitive fight. Give him a test,” Rogan explained. “Don’t put him in there right away with Usman, but if you’re a guy who wants to make the most amount of money, fight Usman.”
Given how Jake Paul has been pushing for a fight against McGregor, it’s possible that a bout between the two could be exactly what The Notorious needs, given his MMA experience.
So far, it’s not known who Paul will be fighting next, but he plans on making a return to the ring in August. Of course, if he could secure a fight against McGregor, all plans could completely change as Conor has been Jake’s top opponent for a long time now.