Jake Paul has come up with a theory as to why Conor McGregor is not fighting in the UFC.
McGregor was supposed to return to the famed Octagon last June, having not fought since July 2021.
He was forced to withdraw from his Las Vegas clash with Michael Chandler after suffering a toe injury.
A new date has yet to be rescheduled, but UFC legend Chael Sonnen seems to know when the Irishman will make his comeback.
Paul, who has relentlessly called out McGregor over the years, has his own theory behind his rival’s time away from the UFC.
He believes the UFC is holding him back on purpose as the promotion are in talks over a new TV deal, with their existing ESPN contract running through 2025.
‘The Problem Child’ argued that having McGregor tied to the company with two fights would yield a more lucrative deal.
Speaking on his podcast, he said: “Conor has two fights left on his fight deal, but the UFC is trying to renew their rights deal… part of that negotiation is ‘hey, we have Conor McGregor for two more fights’.
“But if [Conor] were to fight now, that wouldn’t be part of the negotiations. The company would be like ‘well you only have Conor for one fight’… so that’s why Conor’s not fighting right now.”
Conor McGregor enters the Octagon for his UFC 264 bout. Image: Getty
As Paul states, McGregor has just two fights left on his current UFC deal as free agency looms.
He would then be open to field offers from other combat promotions, with another boxing bout thought to be on the cards.
The ‘Notorious’ fought Floyd Mayweather in a money-spinning showdown with Dana White’s blessings as he continues to be linked with a boxing bout against Manny Pacquiao.
There’s also the option of a fight under the Bare Knuckle FC banner, with the 36-year-old becoming part-owner of the organisation after striking a deal with founder and president David Feldman.
