highlight
- Jake Paul seems ready to step in and save the UFC 303 event.
- It remains to be seen whether UFC 303 on June 29 will actually be Conor McGregor's return fight.
- If McGregor doesn't compete, Paul appears set to save the show for the PFL vs. UFC fight against Sean O'Malley.
Internet sensation and boxing prospect Jake Paul seems to be the savior of MMA, ready to step in for a reportedly injured Conor McGregor to save the UFC 303 event on June 29. While this may just be self-promotion, the only catch is that Paul doesn't seem interested in facing McGregor's scheduled opponent Michael Chandler, and will instead take on UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley.
Conor McGregor has a message for fans ahead of UFC 303
Conor McGregor has apparently informed combat sports fans that he plans to fight at UFC 303.
Jake Paul discusses UFC 303 news
The creator-turned-fighter also took the opportunity to criticize Sean O'Malley.
The same day, Jake Paul suggested in a cryptic Instagram post (now deleted) that McGregor was injured and might miss this month's UFC 303, he suggested he'd be happy to take part in a mixed martial arts bout before stepping into the ring to face Mike Tyson.
Paul initially seemed to suggest that any MMA fights he competed in would take place under the umbrella of the Professional Fighters League (PFL), with which he recently signed a contract. But then he reversed course and proposed a PFL-UFC-like bout on June 29, the same night McGregor was supposed to fight Chandler. It's unclear if he's proposing it as a replacement event for UFC's big International Fight Week show or in addition to that event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
He has Sean O'Malley in mind as an opponent.
“MMA fights come before Tyson,” he tweeted Wednesday.
“I would 100% beat O'Malley in MMA,” he added in another post. “He's a small guy. PFL vs UFC June 29th.”
This was all an apparent response to a tweet O'Malley had made earlier in the day saying he would “fight Jake Paul to save UFC 303.”
Paul vs. O'Malley would be a big hit.
However, this is unlikely to happen for several reasons.
There's no doubt that a legitimate fight between Paul and O'Malley would generate some serious numbers at the box office, and this bout would be the kind of crazy fight that would help UFC 303 regain some star power if it loses McGregor, the centerpiece of the entire show.
But there are some obvious problems with this idea. First, UFC boss Dana White dislikes Paul and would be loath to do business with him at a major event like International Fight Week. Second, O'Malley is at 135 pounds for the Van Toma division, so there's a noticeable weight disparity. Paul would be heavier than 200 pounds these days, but the weight advantage would probably offset any skill difference.
Add in the fact that O'Malley only had 16 days to prepare, and the last thing the UFC wants or needs is a disastrous loss for O'Malley, especially for a fighter like Paul, which is unlikely to happen.
