Conor McGregor Drops Truth Bomb on Tyson-Paul Bout: "It's Not What You Think"

Conor McGregor doesn't like the upcoming Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul boxing match. The former UFC champion shared his thoughts on this fight and similar events in the boxing world.

The match between 58-year-old Tyson and 27-year-old Paul is set for November 15 in Texas. They'll fight for 8 two-minute rounds, and it'll be shown on Netflix - a first for boxing. Some people are worried about Tyson's age and health, as he hasn't had a professional fight in almost 20 years. But others, like Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, support the match.

McGregor talked to James Corden about his concerns. He said:

"For me, it does set a bad precedent in the industry. Because what you've got now is – and I would say this to the young athletes coming up, men and women. Don't aspire to be one of these YouTuber fighters. Aspire for world titles. Aspire for [the Olympics]. That is how you etch your name in history."

He thinks these kinds of fights are just for quick money and fame. McGregor worries that young boxers might not care about amateur competitions or national titles anymore. He believes fighters should aim for championship belts to make a real mark in boxing history.

"Doing these little smash-and-grab fights, you might get a few likes, but there's nothing substantial to it. It's hollow. It can be profitable, but it's hollow. And I'm noticing a trend in young fighters coming up that are not even interested in competing in the amateur scene or rising up to win a national title. You need the gold on the waist. You need to etch your name on the belt."

At a SXSW red carpet event, McGregor also said he's not very interested in the Tyson-Paul fight. He called it "strange" and added, "I wish well for Mike."

It's worth noting that McGregor himself took part in a similar spectacle fight against Floyd Mayweather in 2017. That match was a huge hit, with 4.3 million US pay-per-view buys.

Jake Paul has previously called out McGregor for a fight, but it seems the Irishman isn't interested in that kind of match-up anymore.