Morning Report: Brendan Schaub weighs in on absurd rumor of Conor McGregor being paid $250M to box Logan Paul

Conor McGregor’s latest moneymaking matchup sounds too good to be true.

The UFC star has publicly touted that a boxing match between he and WWE Superstar Logan Paul is allegedly in the works, with India’s wealthy Ambani family supposedly footing the bill. Neither Paul nor the Ambanis have corroborated this claim, but that hasn’t stopped media and fans from speculating over the possibility.

The Mac Life, the MMA news site founded by McGregor, recently claimed that McGregor’s fight with Paul will take place in Mumbai and that “The Notorious” could earn a $250 million payday. Former UFC heavyweight contender Brendan Schaub weighed in on the rumor on a recent episode of his podcast.

“It’s kind of like the Saudi money, how they’re paying Tyson [Fury] and all these guys, like, $250 million is wild,” Schaub said. “$250 million is more than Tyson and [Oleksandr] Usyk combined. Just Conor will make more than Usyk and Fury combined and that’s boxing at the highest level. And they have a YouTuber and a guy who’s going under some allegations making more—just one of them is making more than the greatest boxers on the planet.”

Usyk recently fought Fury in a pair of high-profile boxing bouts promoted by Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season organization, with both bouts taking place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. The Middle East nation has become a hotbed for boxing. Another marquee Riyadh Season event is already scheduled for Feb. 22, when Artur Beterbiev rematches Dmitry Bivol on a stacked card that also includes Daniel Dubois vs. Joseph Parker, Vergil Ortiz Jr vs. Israil Madrimov, Shakur Stevenson (c) vs. Floyd Schofield, and Zhilei Zhang vs. Agit Kabayel.

One factor complicating the McGregor vs. Paul fight is that McGregor is still under contract with the UFC. However, with the TKO brand now encompassing both UFC and WWE, it would theoretically make it easier for McGregor and Paul to negotiate.

It would be the second time McGregor has booked a boxing match while still part of the UFC roster. In August 2017, McGregor took on the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a fight that proved to be lucrative for all parties involved, including UFC. Schaub believes McGregor has to pursue these outside opportunities to reach his true earning potential.

“Even if he was the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, there’s not a UFC fighter on this planet, in the history of that organization that can make $250 million in one night,” Schaub said. “It will never, ever happen. So even if none of this darkness was going on, let’s say he was 30-0, triple champ, quadruple champ, even if he was that, he still wouldn’t make $250 million [in the UFC].”

Should McGregor perform poorly against Paul, Schaub is skeptical that a UFC return is in the cards. McGregor hasn’t fought since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021.

And if McGregor isn’t at his best, he could suffer the worst defeat of his career.

“Here’s the thing, let’s say if Conor goes in there and let’s say he gets embarrassed,” Schaub said. “Flatlined, second round, overhand right. Logan Paul, way bigger dude, fast, powerful, way younger, not so many miles on his body, flatlines Conor McGregor. It could happen. Flatlines him. Does UFC bring Conor back after that? I don’t think so.”

“My only concern, too, is if Conor doesn’t take this serious, like kind of moseys in, he’s partying, you know, I think he could get f*cked up,” Schaub later added. “I think if he’s not on it, he could get f*cked up. That’s what’s interesting to me. Now, if it’s prime Conor, like the one that beat Diego Brandao or beat Eddie Alvarez or that beat Nate Diaz, shows up for that, Logan might get pieced up. Should. But I don’t know if that version might be gone.”

McGregor recently made headlines for the wrong reasons after being found liable for sexual assault stemming from a 2018 incident in Dublin. He was ordered to pay over $250,000 to his accuser Nikita Hand and several sponsors have severed ties with McGregor following the verdict.

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