While although the sporting landscape has been a rather difficult one over the past 18 months or so, there is a sense that the show must always go on and whether it be the cage or the ring, combat sports have still managed to operate as before.

Admittedly both the look and feel of events both here and abroad have been considerably different since the outbreak of COVID-19 last year but the fact that promoters have been able to put on fight cards, is certainly something to be celebrated.

A celebration that comes in the form of sport being such a valuable tool to so many and with many other norms being unafforded to the Irish public during the past 18 months, the desire to watch sporting action has largely increased.

While as before, those who fly the flag for the nation are always backed with vociferous support and when it comes to the men and women who like to throw a punch or two for a living, there is a considerable amount of backing for the likes of Michael Conlon and James Gallagher.

Although their respective fighting environments are different, they both possess an insatiable will to win and when it comes to the Boxing talents of Conlon, defeat is not a word that is found within his lexicon.

That’s because the Belfast born fighter currently possesses a 16-0 professional record and when he takes to the ring, the boxing odds in terms of betting on him to beat his opponent are ones that are often short.

Such has been the prowess of Conlan over the course of his career, that betting on the 29-year-old featherweight, is arguably one of the shrewdest bets you will make – should you be that way inclined.

Then again, even if you are not, there are still plenty of reasons to watch the man who goes by Mick for short and one of those, is the fact that he is in possession of many championship belts at the time of writing.

A collection that has swelled in recent times, as after claiming both the WBA and WBO versions of the Inter-Continental Featherweight Title, he then added WBO International Super Bantamweight Title for good measure.

Although the accolades do not stop there and after getting the better of TJ Doheny at Falls Park, Belfast last month, the unbeaten professional fighter can also call himself the WBA Interim World Featherweight Title holder.

Which means the calibre of fight opponent will only increase in difficulty from here and with a potential WBA unification bout waiting in the winds, Conlan could soon be in the mix for a genuine world championship tilt.

Of course, the title picture is rather murky, as a number of names lay claim to the network of belts that are on offer at this weight class and with their also being a ‘super’ and a world WBA champion at featherweight, the question is who will be next for the two-time Olympian?

Should the current number one contender go down the WBA world route, he could be paired with current champion Leigh Wood or if he aims a step higher, it will be Mexican Leo Santa Cruz who will then lie in wait.

Whatever the potential move is, will play out in good time and before Conlan takes to the ring again for what would be his 17th professional fight, James Gallagher will once again be fighting for the Bellator MMA organisation.

Perhaps considered as the second division in the world of MMA, Bellator has been a rather fertile stomping ground over the years and if a litany of wins can be earned, then the gates to the UFC then open.

That’s not to say that Bellator does not possess any high-profile fighters of their own – if anything far from it and one of the men who is flying their flag and the Irish one at the same time, is the 24-year-old Gallagher.

Known as “The Strabanimal” when in the environment of caged warfare, he currently possesses an overall fight record of 11-1 and has won each of his last four outings within the parameters of Bellator.

Since a 2018 defeat to Ricky Bandejas, it has been nothing but entries into the win column and this has meant getting the better of a quartet comprising of Steven Graham, Jeremiah Labiano, Roman Salzaar, and Cal Ellenor. 

While with those four disposed, the next target is that of Patchy Mix at November’s Bellator 270 and if he can get the better of the Buffalo, New York born fighter, then a title opportunity may soon be heading his way.

Which would only add further credence to the combative nature of Irish fighters and if further success does come to either of the two men in question, it will only inspire more Irish men and women to enter the cage or the ring. 

Since Jake Paul’s introduction to the world of combat sports, one name has exited his mouth during most of his pre-and post-fight speeches – Conor McGregor. This should come as no surprise considering the amount of revenue both men can generate when competing, but what is the likelihood of multiple division UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) champion and record-breaking Irishman accepting a boxing bout with a YouTuber in Jake Paul? 

McGregor vs Paul – Risk vs Reward

The current trajectory of Conor McGregor’s professional martial arts career may give the impression that a contest against Jake Paul wouldn’t be out of the question. However, to date, Jake Paul has only boxed against a retired martial artists, fellow YouTubers, and a former basketball professional. Paul’s record stands at 4-0 as a professional boxer, with his most recent victory coming against a former UFC welterweight champion in Tyron Woodley. This was his toughest test to date and his first real challenge. He showed a lot of composure and gained a lot of his peers respect for his ability to withstand a massive right hand from Woodley that almost sent the Youtuber flying through the ropes.

McGregor fighting Jake Paul in a boxing ring doesn’t make sense from a long-term business standpoint outside of a huge money-making opportunity. McGregor risking his well-established martial arts legacy against a blue-collar boxer like Paul could cause detrimental damage to his reputation that may never be recuperated

Jake Paul losing to Conor McGregor wouldn’t affect the YouTubers status whatsoever, but if “The Notorious One” suffered defeat to Jake Paul, he’d become a timeless meme and may never live down this choice. 

Jake Paul has tried every trick in the book to bait McGregor into accepting a fight, and his most recent stint includes a brash insult towards the Irishman’s decline. Paul has branded McGregor’s most recent performances as ‘embarrassing’. The insults include a previous $50 million fight offer dropping to $10,000 following a pair of defeats to Dustin Poirier. In addition, Paul infamously had a $100,000 chain designed which resembled McGregor in a sleeping position – which reflected the position McGregor was laying in after a round 2 knockout to Poirier at UFC 257. Adding insult to injury, Paul gifted the custom jewellery to Poirier in which he gladly accepted and donated the proceedings to charity. 

As you can tell, Jake Paul is attempting to test the patience of McGregor, who has notably done his best to ignore the ongoing antics and avoid mentioning the name ‘Paul’ in the slightest. Between TMZ bombardments and general media questions, McGregor won’t be found saying a Paul brother’s name, whether it be Logan or Jake. This attitude signals a complete dismissal on McGregor’s behalf, and in reality – a fight with Jake Paul doesn’t match where McGregor’s professional career is currently stood. 

Of course, suffering consecutive defeats to Dustin Poirier isn’t ideal, and yes, you’ll find betting odds on a potential McGregor versus Paul matchup. But let’s face facts, a potential fight between the two is 3-4 years out of sight, if at all.  

Conor McGregor is a polarizing figure in the martial arts world, and he’s shown zero interest in accepting a boxing contest against anyone besides Manny Pacquiao. 

Money holds little motive in McGregor’s life; a flourishing businessman in and outside the combat sports world has placed him as the highest-earning athlete of 2020. Without the need for a paycheque, it’s difficult to envision anybody within the MMA world crossing over to a boxing ring to risk their reputation. 

As mentioned, Paul has fought two former UFC competitors, Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley – both of which were retired from MMA, aged forty plus, and blatantly sought a comfortable payday. McGregor’s current status is incomparable. Image link HERE. 

McGregor vs Paul in The Near Future Just Doesn’t Make Sense

In Jake Pauls world, fighting Conor McGregor would elevate his minor career in every facet of the game. In Conor McGregor’s world, fighting Jake Paul would accomplish absolutely “nuttin”. 

Let us ponder on the achievements of McGregor. 

• Interim UFC Featherweight Champion (One time) 
• UFC Featherweight Champion (One time)
• UFC Lightweight Champion (One time) 
• UFC Fight of the Night Award (Two times) 
• UFC Knockout of the Night Award (One Time) 
• UFC Performance of the Night Award (Seven times) 
• The first-ever Irish-born UFC Champion
• The third-ever Multi-Divisional UFC Champion in History (Featherweight, Lightweight) 
• The first-ever simultaneous multi-divisional champion in UFC history (Featherweight, Lightweight) 
• More consecutive UFC Performance of the Night awards in UFC history (Five) 
• Most consecutive post-fight bonuses in UFC history (Eight) 
• Second-most UFC Performance of the Night awards in UFC history
• Fastest UFC title-winning fight in UFC history (13 seconds vs. Jose Aldo)  

The above achievements are a fraction of what McGregor has accomplished since beginning his professional mixed martial arts journey in 2008. In addition, McGregor is just 33 years old and hasn’t shown any signs of retirement. He made it abundantly clear that fighting Dustin Poirier in a fourth contest was likely, amongst an additional several other bouts/rematches he’s interested in. 

The bottom line is, Jake Paul has achieved very little; the risk to reward ratio for an extremely wealthy fighter in McGregor doesn’t heighten his legacy. With that said, we’ve seen stranger things; I just don’t believe that we’d witness this fight take place, or at least not until McGregor is long retired.