Ali Abdelaziz claims Jake Paul will beat Conor McGregor's 'a**' in a potential clash
If MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz were a betting man, he'd apparently put his money on Jake Paul against Conor McGregor in a hypothetical boxing matchup.
The outspoken handler of several star fighters put forth a hot take on social media, saying the YouTube star would beat the former two-division UFC champ should they meet inside the squared circle.
The comments came after McGregor insinuated he would "spark" welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and take the title away from him. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' caught wind of McGregor's tweet and responded by telling the Irishman to "be quiet." At this point, Abdelaziz chimed in, saying:
"I think Jake Paul (would) spark [his] a** also."
This isn't the first time Conor McGregor has expressed interest in moving up to the 170-pound weight class to challenge Kamaru Usman for the crown. Moments after the main event of UFC 260, the Irishman took to Twitter to make his welterweight aspirations known.
The Dublin native posted a clip of his UFC 257 bout against Dustin Poirier with an ominous warning directed towards 'The Nigerian Nightmare.' McGregor wrote:
"Usman even copying my shots now. Am I to fight this guy at some stage? I think so. Can’t be copying my words and my shots and not get a smack for it. I like 170. It’s mine soon."
Will Conor McGregor fight Jake Paul?
Conor McGregor has proven in the past that he's willing to leave the confines of the octagon to take on new challenges in the boxing ring. In 2017, 'The Notorious' made his pro boxing debut against pound-for-pound great Floyd Mayweather. McGregor may have fallen short in his first appearance in the boxing ring, but the fight's pay-per-view sales generated historic numbers.
Jake Paul, meanwhile, has also put his drawing power on display during his last couple of fights. Eyeing a potential big-money matchup, 'The Problem Child' has challenged McGregor on multiple occasions in an attempt to coerce the UFC star into fighting him.
Jake Paul has tried every tactic to catch the Irishman's attention – from a straightforward callout to making personal remarks about Conor McGregor. However, the Irishman has remained dismissive of Paul. Only time will tell if a potential clash between the two is on the table.