Even though Conor McGregor tweeted it, UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier isn’t so sure about a boxing match with Logan Paul.
Even though [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] tweeted it, UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] isn’t so sure about a boxing match with Logan Paul.
McGregor raised eyebrows Tuesday with a middle-of-the-night X post in which he claimed to have agreed to fight Paul in an exhibition in India. Subsequent reports have indicated McGregor vs. Paul is seriously being discussed as something that could happen, but Cormier isn’t completely buying in quite yet.
“We talk about impact. That right there tells you the impact of Conor McGregor,” Cormier told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “Conor McGregor has told us a lot of things over the last three years. None of them have come to fruition. I’m gonna have to see it to believe it.”
Since McGregor’s tweet, a lot has been made about UFC CEO Dana White’s comments following last Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 63 event in Tampa. White told reporters about “something in the works” that people would “never f*cking see coming for 2025,” which has fans and pundits wondering if he was referring to McGregor vs. Paul.
Cormier, who has a good relationship with White, wouldn’t speculate on whether or not those remarks were about McGregor vs. Paul.
If McGregor does fight Paul in a boxing exhibition, Cormier doesn’t think that will be it for the former UFC two-division champion and considers his return to MMA to be a must.
Cormier believes a McGregor comeback to the UFC is of the utmost importance in the wake of him being found liable for sexual assault last month.
“I think he’s gonna fight in the octagon. I think he has to, though,” Cormier said. “For Conor McGregor to – he’s got to rinse some of the stench off of him from everything that’s happened outside of the octagon. Where he made his home is inside that cage, and I think at some point he’s gonna have to get back there.”
McGregor almost come back to the UFC over the summer as he was set to headline UFC 303 against Michael Chandler. However, McGregor had to withdraw roughly a month out from the event because of a broken pinky toe suffered in training.
McGregor hasn’t competed since a July 2021 doctor’s stoppage TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in which he broke his leg at the end of the first round.
Stephen A. Smith has all but counted out Conor McGregor in a potential boxing match with Logan Paul.
[autotag]Stephen A. Smith[/autotag] heavily dismisses [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] in a potential boxing match againt [autotag]Logan Paul[/autotag].
McGregor on Tuesday made a surprise announcement that he is in preliminary talks to box Paul in an exhibition match in India before making his UFC return – a fight which will be organized by the extremely wealthy Ambani Family.
Smith isn’t against the idea of McGregor boxing before returning to the octagon. With McGregor having not competed since July 2021, Smith believes “The Notorious” would get seriously hurt if he competed in MMA first thing back. If McGregor does end up lacing up the gloves against Paul, the ESPN analyst doesn’t like his chances.
“I think Logan Paul is going to beat him,” Smith said on ESPN’s “First Take.” “I don’t think that Conor McGregor is a boxer; he’s a striker. So, he’s sitting up there, and he ain’t even throwing his jab. He’s pitter-pattering. You ain’t clipping Logan Paul like that. You’ve got to do more than that.
“We don’t know yet (which size gloves they’re using), but it doesn’t matter. Unless it’s pillows like 16 or 18 ounces, it ain’t going to work. I just think that Logan Paul is bigger, he’s a much bigger man, he’s a more experienced boxer.”
With McGregor walking around at a much larger weight than his UFC championship days, Smith doesn’t see his precision and speed in the octagon translating to the ring. He pointed to McGregor’s 10th-round TKO loss to Floyd Mayweather in their August 2017 boxing match, in which McGregor significantly slowed down as the rounds went down.
“Those big muscles are going to make you a bit slower, and you’ve got to remember that Conor had quickness, he could catch you quick and clip you,” Smith said. “That’s not going to be the case in the boxing ring.”
How seriously should fight fans take UFC star Conor McGregor’s claim that he’s in agreement to fight Logan Paul in a boxing exhibition?
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Sometimes all it takes is one [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] social media post to set the combat sports world into a tizzy, as was the case Tuesday when the UFC’s biggest star shared that he has agreed to an exhibition boxing match against [autotag]Logan Paul[/autotag].
What? That certainly came out of nowhere.
At least part of the motivation for McGregor’s middle-of-the-night (in the U.S.) X post was to quell rumors of a UFC fight against featherweight champion Ilia Topuria. McGregor’s post also suggested that India’s extremely wealthy Ambani Family will organize the event.
The rumors of a bout with topurio are false. I am in preliminary agreements with the Ambani family to face Logan Paul in a boxing exhibition in India.
I have agreed.
I will then seek my return to the Octagon.
How serious should fight fans take McGregor’s claim? Here’s what we know.
Did Dana White tease McGregor vs. Paul?
This past Saturday after UFC on ESPN 63, Dana White spoke with reporters and was asked about the UFC’s plans for 2025 coming off another successful year. And in the process of a long-winded answer, the UFC boss teased something big and suggested it would come as a surprise.
“I’ve got something in the works right now. I’ll drive you f*ckers crazy, all you guys will be running around,” White told reporters, including MMA Junkie. “I’ve got something in the works that you will never f*cking see coming for 2025, that literally started to come together last night.”
A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to MMA Junkie that White was pitched on the idea of a fight between McGregor and Paul last Friday, although it’s unclear who took part in that meeting.
Why McGregor vs. Paul could be legit
While a potential fight between McGregor and Paul does seem out of left field, it could make sense given their affiliations.
With McGregor under contract with UFC and Paul tied to WWE, that puts both men under the TKO umbrella. It stands to reason that if TKO executives want to put on a crossover event headlined by McGregor vs. Paul, the fight could certainly come to fruition.
Also working in the fight’s favor is the fact that Paul already is one of the UFC’s business partners through his Prime energy drink.
Jake Paul weighs in on possible McGregor fight vs. his brother
While White has been in a years-long war of words with Logan’s brother, Jake Paul, over fighter pay, he’s had nothing but praise for Logan, calling him “f*cking brilliant” in 2023.
Jake, who has repeatedly called out McGregor during his meteoric rise from YouTuber to professional boxer, weighed in on the possibility that McGregor would fight his brother on X, claiming that McGregor’s team has been “desperately trying” to negotiate with Most Valuable Promotions.
Now it all makes sense why Conor Mcgregor & his management team have been desperately trying to get MVP to negotiate for a fight between us.
As we told them them privately & I’m now saying it publicly…the only way we’re willing to explore me vs Conor in a pro boxing / mma fight…
Who is the Ambani Family and why would they be involved?
Mukesh Ambani, patriarch of the Ambani Family, is an Indian businessman and one of the richest people in the world with an estimated net worth of $121 billion, according to Business Insider earlier this year. His company, Reliance Industries, conducts business in a multitude of sectors – including energy, natural gas, telecommunications, and more.
Given Ambani doesn’t have any history of promoting or investing in combat sports, it’s unclear why he would back McGregor vs. Paul. His company, however, does have ties to the entertainment industry – and a McGregor vs. Paul event would surely draw mainstream interest similar to, if not beyond, this past November’s Netflix event headlined by Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson.
Logan Paul’s first reaction
With all the buzz permeating Tuesday’s news cycle, Paul finally reacted (sort of) to a potential fight with McGregor on his Instagram Story, adding the big eyes emoji to a graphic that included McGregor’s original tweet.
The 36-year-old MMA fighter who once fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the boxing ring delivered a tweet on X (formerly Twitter) early Tuesday morning with this claim: “The rumors of a bout with [Ilia] Topurio are false. I am in preliminary agreements with the Ambani family to face Logan Paul in a boxing exhibition in India.”
Only then will he “seek [his] return to the Octagon.”
Hmm. That’s all we’ve got, so we’ll see what Paul’s camp says about it. But that’s intriguing.
The rumors of a bout with topurio are false. I am in preliminary agreements with the Ambani family to face Logan Paul in a boxing exhibition in India. I have agreed. I will then seek my return to the Octagon.
Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) notched his first title defense when he knocked out Max Holloway at UFC 308, but has now turned his attention to former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. Judging by the way Topuria and McGregor’s careers have played out, Bisping sees a resemblance.
“As we know, Ilia Topuria has styled himself on Conor McGregor, and they’ve got a lot in common,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “Undefeated in the UFC featherweight division, stock shot to stardom, knocked everybody out, apart from one person – of course that was Josh Emmett, and that was Max Holloway (for McGregor). Everyone else got slept.
“The confidence from Ilia Topuria has been through the roof just like Conor McGregor. There’s even similarities in their tattoos, the way they warm up and stuff like that. …Also, Conor never defended the featherweight strap and it seems like maybe he’s (Topuria) trying to do the same thing. Move up to lightweight, forget about featherweight because he’s, ‘Been there, done it, got the t-shirt.'”
Topuria put out a statement to clarify that he’s yet to make a final decision, however “El Matador” is not short of options. Awaiting him at 145 pounds is a rematch with Alexander Volkanovski, fellow undefeated Movsar Evloev, and red-hot Diego Lopes.
Dana White appears to be unbothered by the UFC’s biggest star being found liable for sexually assaulting a woman.
LAS VEGAS – More than two weeks after [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] lost a high-profile sexual assault civil trial, [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] finally broke his silence – sort of.
On Nov. 22, a 12-day civil trial concluded with a jury finding McGregor liable for assault stemming from a 2018 claim by a woman, Nikita Hand, that she was raped by the UFC star in a Dublin hotel room during a night of partying. As a result, the jury ordered McGregor to pay Hand approximately $260,000 in damages. A judge also ruled that McGregor must pay Hand’s legal costs associated with the case.
Prior to the court’s ruling, there was plenty of uncertainty about McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) returning to the UFC. He was scheduled to make his highly anticipated comeback against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June, but the bout was scrapped after McGregor withdrew due to a broken pinky toe.
When asked during the UFC 310 post-fight news conference for a reaction to McGregor losing his sexual assault case, White offered nothing.
“What do you mean what’s my reaction?” White responded. “If I had a comment I would’ve put it out already.”
“He hasn’t been fighting here in I don’t know how long,” White said. “If he does fight, it’ll be sometime next year.”
Dana White gives his first comment on Conor McGregor and the ruling of his civil case in Ireland and says “if he does fight it will be some time next year.” pic.twitter.com/nrlhrJgpfT
McGregor hasn’t competed since breaking his leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. He has since filmed Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter” opposite Chandler but wound up withdrawing from their scheduled bout this past June.
Along with damages he’s been ordered to pay in a sexual assault case, Conor McGregor will have to cover his victim’s legal costs.
Along with damages he’s been ordered to pay after a verdict in a sexual assault case, [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] now will have to cover his victim’s legal costs, as well.
McGregor, a former UFC two-division champion who hasn’t fought in three-and-a-half years, was found liable for the sexual assault of Nikita Hand during a 2018 incident. A jury in Dublin returned a verdict that included damages amounting to approximately $250,000. A co-defendant with McGregor, James Lawrence, was not found liable for the same allegations.
On Thursday, a judge ruled McGregor must pay Hand’s legal fees from pursuit of her claim against him, but she must pay her own fees for the portion of the trial related to Lawrence, according to RTE in Ireland. Lawrence, however, will not be permitted to pursue recovery legal fees for his defense, even though he was not found liable.
The jury said Lawrence did not assault Hand. During the trial, Hand’s attorney said McGregor and Lawrence made a combined effort to have Lawrence take the fall, rather than McGregor.
According to RTE, McGregor also could run afoul of the Irish legal system for online posts he made in the wake of the decision. He said he plans to appeal and criticized the jurors and “kangaroo court,” which Hand’s attorneys said could factor into McGregor’s penalties at some point.
The UFC has not made public comment in the wake of the trial.
[lawrence-related id=2790031]
Hand was seeking damages – general, special, aggravated, and punitive – for the incident and her inability to work due to mental health reasons, according to court documents. In the statement of claim reported by The New York Times in 2021, Hand sought damages of $1.79-$2.13 million for the same.
McGregor and his legal team were in the courtroom for the verdict, as was McGregor’s wife, Dee Devlin, with whom he shares four children, the first of which was born in late 2017. McGregor admitted under oath during the trial that he had sex with Hand during the incident in question in late 2018, but he said it was consensual.
The trial wrapped up at the end of its second week. McGregor and Lawrence faced sexual assault accusations in a lawsuit filed by Hand, who alleged they had sex with her without her consent while she was intoxicated in December 2018 at a hotel after a long night of partying. Criminal charges weren’t fully pursued, but Hand filed a civil suit in 2021.
McGregor has not fought since a July 2021 injury TKO loss to Dustin Poirier. It’s been more than eight years since he most recently held a UFC title, which was stripped from him for failure to defend. Although he was tapped to coach on “The Ultimate Fighter” opposite Michael Chandler and fight afterward, that fight has not come to fruition. UFC CEO Dana White said he expects McGregor back in the UFC by the end of 2025.
McGregor posted on social media that he was disappointed in the decision and that he planned to appeal, He said the “modest award” given to Hand was only for his assault of her, and appeared to try to ease his level of guilt by saying she was not awarded anything for “aggravated or exemplary damages.”
McGregor also said he was with his family and “focused on my future.”
I will be appealing today’s decision. The judge’s instruction and the modest award given was for assault, not for aggravated or exemplary damages. I am disappointed that the jury did not hear all the evidence that the DPP reviewed. I am with my family now, focused on my future.…
Hand spoke to reporters from a pre-written statement while surrounded by family and friends outside the courthouse moments after the verdict was handed down.
“I’m overwhelmed. I’m touched by the support I’ve received from everybody,” Hand said.”… (My daughter) has given me the strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare to keep on pushing for justice. I want to show (her) and every other girl and boy that if something happens to you, you can stand up for yourself – no matter who the person is, and justice will be served.”
Several days after the trial, Devlin, who is the mother of McGregor’s four children, attacked Hand’s character in a series of messages on her Instagram Stories.
“Imagine a WOMAN, with her own boyfriend and child, texting provocative pictures of herself to another woman’s man with a family and child on the way,” Devlin wrote. “This woman claims to know me, yet still went ahead and sent messages and pictures of herself over and over to my man? Really? Whilst out on a 3-day bender, texting excuses to her own child at home where mammy is on a Saturday afternoon, Saturday night, Sunday morning, Sunday afternoon, Sunday night night into Monday morning. All the while out of her face in a hotel room, dancing around a hotel carpark. What sort of WOMAN are you!!! My sons will be warned women like you exist in the world.”
Conor McGregor’s time in the UFC has been the best of times and the worst of times, although the glory days feel like a distant memory.
(This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccurate headline.)
[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]’s time in the UFC has been the best of times and the worst of times, although the glory days feel like a distant memory.
McGregor went from being on welfare to joining the UFC in April 2013, and he talked a big game from the moment he stepped foot in the octagon. Fight fans overwhelmingly loved him. And in the ensuing three years after his debut, McGregor quickly rose to a level of stardom not quite achieved before in mixed martial arts, which peaked when he became the first fighter in UFC history to simultaneously hold two championship belts.
Below is a timeline of key events that have transpired between the highest and lowest points of his career.
***
November 12, 2016: McGregor becomes UFC’s first simultaneous two-division champ
Conor McGregor became the first UFC fighter to win titles in two divisions at UFC 205. (USA TODAY Sports)
Already the promotion’s featherweight champion, McGregor reaches the pinnacle of the sport with a brilliant performance against then-lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in the promotion’s first visit to Madison Square Garden. McGregor puts on a striking clinic to dominate Alvarez before winning by second-round TKO. It’s a historic victory for McGregor, who becomes the first UFC fighter to hold two belts at the same time with the addition of the 155-pound title.
November 26, 2016: McGregor stripped of UFC featherweight title
McGregor’s champ-champ status lasts all of two weeks as the UFC announces on a Fight Night broadcast that McGregor is stripped of the featherweight title. The move is part of a shakeup that includes Jose Aldo, whom McGregor knocked out to claim the title in December 2015, being promoted from interim to undisputed champ and a new UFC 206 headliner between Max Holloway and Anthony Pettis for the interim 145-pound title.
August 26, 2017: McGregor loses monumental boxing match to Mayweather
April 5, 2018: McGregor stripped of UFC lightweight title
Dana White announces at a fight-week news conference that McGregor is stripped of the lightweight title ahead of the UFC 223 main event, sealing the fact that McGregor never defended either of the UFC two belts he’d won. McGregor responds in a crude post on Twitter.
April 5, 2018: McGregor attacks fighter bus at UFC 223 media day
Conor McGregor looks on next to his lawyer, Jim Walden (R) and John Arlia (L), during his arraignment at the Kings County (Brooklyn) Criminal Court on April 6, 2018 in New York. (Photo by Mary Altaffer/Pool via Getty Images)
Looking for revenge against Khabib Nurmagomedov, who two days earlier confronted his then-good friend Artem Lobov, McGregor goes berserk on a bus carrying Nurmagomedov and other UFC 223 fighters. The incident took place after McGregor and members of his team entered the bowels of Barclays Center, which hosted the aforementioned press event, where fighters boarded busses to return to the host hotel. Once inside, McGregor incited a chaos that included him throwing a dolly through a bus window, causing injuries to Ray Borg and Michael Chiesa (Borg withdrew from UFC 223 afterward), and immediately fled the scene. McGregor was arrested by the New York Police Department and charged with multiple counts of assault after turning himself in the next day. McGregor eventually reached a plea deal in the case and served his sentence of community service at at churches.
October 6, 2018: McGregor submitted by Khabib at UFC 229, brawl ensues
March 11, 2019: McGregor arrested after smashing fan’s phone
Conor McGregor’s mug shot in Florida. (Miami Beach Police Department)
McGregor is arrested in Miami Beach, Fla., after being caught on video grabbing a fan’s cell phone and throwing it to the ground. Charges against McGregor were dropped two months later, and the man, whose phone was destroyed in the incident, dropped his lawsuit after reaching a settlement with McGregor.
March 26, 2019: McGregor under investigation for sexual assault in Dublin
October 19, 2019: McGregor faces second sexual assault allegation
After revealing McGregor’s name in a report of an alleged sexual assault earlier in the year, the New York Times reports that McGregor is under investigation for a second sexual assault allegation in Ireland. The Times report includes the detail that a woman in her 20s was sexually assaulted, allegedly by McGregor, outside a Dublin pub while in a vehicle.
January 18, 2020: McGregor finishes Cerrone in 40 seconds
Conor McGregor moves in to finish Donald Cerrone during UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena. (Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)
McGregor returns from a 15-month layoff and wins his first fight in more than three years when he beats Donald Cerrone by TKO in 40 seconds at UFC 246.
June 6, 2020: McGregor ‘decided to retire from fighting’
July 10, 2021: McGregor suffers gruesome broken leg in Poirier trilogy at UFC 264
Conor McGregor is carried out of the arena on a stretcher after injuring his ankle in the first round of his lightweight bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. (Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports)
Six months after losing to Poirier, McGregor returns for the trilogy and loses by injury TKO after suffering a gruesome broken leg in the final seconds of the first round. McGregor undergoes surgery the next day and is out of action indefinitely while he recovers.
March 22, 2022: McGregor arrested for ‘dangerous driving’ in Dublin
June 9, 2023: McGregor punches Miami Heat mascot in skit gone wrong
While attending Game 4 of the NBA Finals, a promotional stunt goes wrong when the man wearing the Miami Heat mascot costume is injured by McGregor, who punches him twice. The man was hospitalized but not seriously hurt.
June 15, 2023: McGregor accused of sexually assaulting woman at NBA Finals game
Conor McGregor during Game 4 of the NBA Finals in June 2023. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images)
At the same NBA Finals game where the mascot stunt went wrong, a woman accuses McGregor of “violently” raping her inside of a bathroom at Kaseya Center. McGregor was arrested and charged, but the charges were later dropped after prosecutors concluded there was “insufficient evidence” and “contradicting and/or no corroborating witnesses” to prove beyond a reasonable that McGregor assaulted the woman.
October 11, 2023: McGregor controversy at center of UFC-USADA program ending
McGregor, who had exited the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s drug-testing pool while recovering from his broken leg, reenters the program as the UFC announces that it will end its partnership with USADA. In a statement, USADA indicates at the center of the split is a disagreement with the UFC over a potential McGregor exception to return to the cage without having to pass two tests in six months. The UFC later accuses USADA of using McGregor to advance a “false narrative.”
June 3, 2024: McGregor vs. Chandler press conference called off
After booking his highly anticipated return to the cage against Michael Chandler at UFC 303, a press conference to promote the event in Dublin is suddenly called off hours beforehand. It’s initially announced to have been postponed for unknown reasons.
June 13, 2024: McGregor vs. Chandler UFC 303 headliner canceled
November 22, 2024: McGregor found liable in 2018 sexual assault case
Conor McGregor arrives at court, on the day he attends a civil trial on allegations of sexual assault, in Dublin, Ireland November 19, 2024. (REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo)
Daniel Cormier isn’t sure if Conor McGregor’s image will ever recover from his ongoing sexual assault case.
[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] isn’t sure if [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]’s image will ever recover from his ongoing sexual assault case.
This past Friday, McGregor was found liable for a 2018 sexual assault of a woman at a Dublin hotel. As a result, the jury ordered McGregor pay approximately $260,000 in damages to the victim, Nikita Hand.
With Proper No. Twelve parent company Proximo Spirits announcing that it will no longer feature McGregor in association with the brand, and IO Interactive also announcing that McGregor’s character will be removed from the popular “Hitman” video game series, Cormier says McGregor will likely continue facing real-life consequences.
“It’s unfortunate because this is one of the biggest stars that this sport has ever seen. We’ve never seen anything like a Conor McGregor in mixed martial arts,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “For a guy of that stature to come from our sport and be tied to something as bad as this, it really does suck. There are going to be some long-term effects from this.”
“When I hear things like this, sometimes (celebrities) are targeted – especially guys that carry that type of cache, that type of name recognition,” Cormier said. “But with Conor, it seems like there has been more than one instance where stuff like this has come up. Like I said, I am not judging this man. I don’t know.
“I wasn’t there. You know who knows? Conor and that girl. But, this isn’t the first time that we have seen something like that so, you’re a little less inclined to be, ‘Oh, this is a gold digger that’s trying to do this.’ But do know that as long as there have been sports, there have been instances like this.”
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and current champion Islam Makhachev jumped at the opportunity to take shots at McGregor. Cormier was especially surprised with Makhachev’s reaction, but acknowledges that there is deep-rooted hatred between both sides.
“It was a matter of time till this filthy bastard be exposed. Alcoholic, drug junkie + rapist. Many more facts to come out, trust me!”
It was a matter of time till this filthy bastard be exposed. Alcoholic, drug junkie + rapist. Many more facts to come out, trust me! https://t.co/XTtJ0CJwZk
“Honestly, it seems a little bit off-brand for Islam,” Cormier said. “I know the boys. The boys love to talk trash. The boys love to mess around. The boys will tell you what they feel. It feels off-brand, but in this case, I feel like it could be because this rivalry between these boys from Dagestan and Conor McGregor has been as nasty as any rivalry as we have seen in mixed martial arts.”
Rico Verhoeven is amused by Conor McGregor using his sparring footage with Tom Aspinall as analysis for a fight with Jon Jones.
[autotag]Rico Verhoeven[/autotag] is amused at the idea of [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] or anyone else trying to use his sparring footage with interim UFC champion [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] as analysis for a potential title unifier with Jon Jones.
Verhoeven, the current GLORY Kickboxing heavyweight champion, is a good friend of Aspinall, with the pair frequently using each other in training camps for their respective bouts. They were in the gym recently, with Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) getting some rounds for his potential backup role at UFC 309 this month when Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) took on Stipe Miocic, as well as assisting Verhoeven ahead of his title defense with Levi Rigters at GLORY COLLISION 7 on Dec. 7 in the Netherlands.
After Jones defeated Miocic by third-round TKO, UFC CEO Dana White said he will do everything in his power to make the fight with Aspinall next. In anticipation of that, Aspinall recently said on “The Ariel Helwani Show” that Jones is worried about facing him because of the lack of fight footage he has to prepare off.
That prompted former two-division UFC champion McGregor to chime in on social media and point to some of the sparring videos that have surfaced between Aspinall and Verhoeven, to which he said Aspinall looked “woeful.” That takeaway was comical to Verhoeven.
“Come on – me and Tom, you really, really, really think me and Tom are going to spar for real and share that on the internet? Come on,” Verhoeven told MMA Junkie. “You’ve got to be kidding me. But that’s the mindset of the world today. They’re all like, ‘Yo, what’s on the internet, that’s what’s for real.’ Come on. We’re too smart for that. We’ve been playing this game for such a long time and that’s one of the reasons we’ve been dominating for such a long time, because we’re trying to outsmart everybody. So it’s definitely not a thing we would be posting. We were just having fun.
“Tom had to stay in shape and ready for either potentially fighting either Stipe or Jon at (UFC 309). So we were just having fun and imitating Jon a little bit, going left to right and moving around. That’s what we were doing. It’s not a true something you can analyze like, ‘He wasn’t looking that good vs. Rico.’ Because believe me. Tom is an amazing kickboxer. He would give definitely give the top three in GLORY their hands full in a fight. Every time he comes we talk and he’s such an amazing listener and he’s a learner. Every time I give him stuff, he comes back and he masters the trick I told him. I love it.”
Verhoeven said he ultimately knows the truth of what happens between Aspinall and himself when they are going at full speed and the camera aren’t running. It gives him extreme confidence that Aspinall would be the one to hand Jones his first true defeat in MMA competition, but it remains to be seen if the UFC can finalize the fight.
As goofy as Verhoeven thinks it is for anyone to look at his public sparring videos with Aspinall as having any substantial value, he doesn’t mind as long as it leads to the Jones fight coming to fruition.
“He has to take that fight,” Verhoeven said. “I understand his position. I understand why he’s not really eager to take that fight, because Tom’s a different type of animal. He’s a different type of monster. He’s fast. He’s agile. He can grapple. He can wrestle. He’s good on the ground. He can box. He can kick box. So I don’t think Jon wants a piece of Tom Aspinall.”
