Eddie Hearn explains why he “still likes” Conor McGregor versus Jake Paul

Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn weighed in on the possibility of Jake Paul fighting Conor McGregor and why he thinks the Irishman would win over the YouTuber.

Jake Paul has been trying to score a fight against UFC icon Conor McGregor for a long time, going as far as even saying he would battle The Notorious in the octagon instead of a boxing ring.

While the fight has yet to be booked, that hasn’t stopped the bad blood between the two from escalating with McGregor mocking Paul’s appearance at Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano this past weekend.

Now, amid Jake Paul’s claims that McGregor is “ducking” a fight against him, Eddie Hearn has chimed in, explaining why he likes Conor in a match, even if it’s unlikely to happen.

Jake Paul/Instagram/Andrius Petrucenia, Flickr

Jake Paul has been trying to secure a fight with Conor McGregor for a long time.

Eddie Hearn backs Conor McGregor in proposed Jake Paul fight

Speaking with Ariel Helwani on MMA Hour, the boxing promoter touched on the feud between Jake and Conor, noting how the YouTuber made disrespectful comments about the Irishman’s family.

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“This isn’t YouTube or Disney where you can get away with saying whatever you want. This is a strike on-site world, and there will be no conversation. There will be no mediation,” Hearn warned. “That’s the game he’s playing. And he’s pushed that game very hard with a lot of people and it’s working for him.”

Despite this, Hearn stressed that he “still likes Conor McGregor against Jake Paul” despite some advantages that the upstart boxer has in his favor.

“I know there’s a bit of a weight, but Conor is looking big these days,” he added before being asked who would win. “I don’t want to disrespect Conor, but it’s the size that’s the problem. Jake can fight, but Conor was a decent amateur fighter, he has good boxing fundamentals. Much better than most mixed martial artists.”

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The problem, however, is the weight that poses a major issue with Jake being a lot heavier than The Notorious. Regardless, it’s a fight that Hearn wants to see even if he doesn’t think UFC boss Dana White will make it a reality.

“Dana is not going to do a deal with Jake Paul,” Hearn sighed, seemingly dismissing the chance to see the two battle it out.

As Jake Paul readies for his return to the ring in August, he still doesn’t have an opponent set, but even if his dream bout against McGregor doesn’t go ahead, he has no shortage of foes, ranging from boxing great Mike Tyson to UFC legend Anderson Silva.