Logan Paul wasted no time after Conor McGregor’s disappointing performance at UFC 329, telling his WWE bosses he wanted a piece of the Irish MMA star.
Appearing on his IMPAULSIVE podcast alongside UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley, Paul revealed that the moment McGregor’s night went wrong in the octagon, he fired off a message to management pushing for a match.
“I texted my boss after Conor lost,” Paul said. “I was like, ‘Bro, Conor’s cooked. Like do something. Do something with it. Like make a bag. Let me compete against him. Big WWE star versus big WWE star because that’s what he is now.'”
Paul’s pitch rested on the idea that McGregor, who returned to the UFC after a five-year absence, now belongs to the same world as Paul. He pointed to McGregor’s history of taking shots at WWE, including a recent tweet targeting Roman Reigns.
O’Malley, who watched the match with real investment, made clear he was gutted by what he saw.
“I almost cried when Conor tore his s**t,” O’Malley said. “I was so devastated. I’m the biggest Conor fan.”
O’Malley traced his attachment back to the early days. “I watched Conor’s rise from like his first couple matches and to have him back, oh my god, dude. I was so excited.”
Despite the disappointment, O’Malley was firm that McGregor is not finished. “He’ll be back,” he said at several points throughout the conversation. “He’s got another left hand in him.”
Paul was harder to persuade. He brought up McGregor’s knee and the nature of the five-year layoff, drawing a contrast with athletes like Jon Jones who stayed active and training throughout extended absences.
Paul also credited McGregor for having a rare ability to pull people in regardless of circumstances, comparing the buildup to UFC 329 to the reception around his brother Jake’s matchup with Mike Tyson.
“He has a lot of people fooled, and he fooled everyone before this match, just like Mike Tyson fooled everyone before he competed against my brother,” Paul said.
