BOXING/MMA
Former world champion thinks Jake Paul could pose a threat to Conor McGregor in an MMA fight
Former boxer Paulie Malignaggi believes that ‘The Problem Child’ could be a tough fight for the Irishman if they meet in the octagon in the future.
Jake Paul is trying to make himself a name in the sport of boxing. While many thought the former Disney actor wouldn’t be successful at all in his new adventure, the Ohio native has been proving many people wrong by winning six of his seven fights so far.
The social media celebrity lost his last bout against Tommy Fury, who got his hand raised after winning via split decision in an eight-round clash.
The Problem Child has been calling out UFC and MMA superstar Conor McGregor for a long time to share the boxing ring with him, as such a fight would probably translate into lots of money for both men.
However, the former UFC champion didn’t seem to take Paul very seriously and preferred to focus on his UFC comeback after being out of action for a long period due to injuries and trying to bulk to challenge fighters in heavier divisions.
Malignaggi predicts a potential Paul-McGregor clash
Although there haven’t been any negotiations between the American and the Irish for a fight, either in a boxing ring or the octagon, many have already started giving their predictions if they ever were to meet for a fight.
One of them is former two-weight world champion Paulie Malignaggi, who believes Paul could take advantage of the flaws within McGregor’s fight game in an MMA fight.
“Jake has a high school wrestler background so he would not be totally out of his element in the cage. He’d need to be alert to his kicks, but McGregor had absolutely no balls,” Malignaggi said to Lord Ping.
“If you make him just a little bit uncomfortable, you are going to put yourself in a position where you might win the fight”, he added.
Malignaggi, who sparred with McGregor ahead of the Irish’s bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr., also spoke about the fact that the former UFC two-division champ tends to get tired if his fights go longer than expected.
“He looks for the first window to jump out of. He’s got athletic ability but his anxiety levels get high. That’s why he gets so tired in fights”, Malignaggi concluded.
While McGregor will face Michael Chandler as a part of the Ultimate Fighter Championship series in September, Jake Paul will make his return to the boxing ring to fight Nate Diaz in August.