Mike Tyson‘s trainer predicts a fight with Logan Paul to spell the end of Conor McGregor‘s credibility in the UFC and as an MMA fighter as the 36-year-old Irishman enters three-and-a-half years out of commission in the Octagon.
The Notorious last fought in July 2021 when he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier in what spelled his third defeat in four fights, starting from when he unsuccessfully challenged Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title.
He did have a proposed fight with Michael Chandler in June 2024 but ultimately had to postpone it due to a broken toe six weeks prior. The inactivity, combined with legal issues and his business ventures, means lots of people have largely given up dreams of seeing him competing at the front of the UFC again.
Now looking to make a return to boxing, in what he claims is a $250m bout, Teddy Atlas believes taking on Paul would all but spell the end of his career as a mixed martial artist as the legendary trainer of Iron Mike provides his forecast.
“McGregor‘s the more experienced legitimate fighter here,” Atlas said on his YouTube podcast. “Obviously, Paul‘s going to be much bigger, and he’s going to be younger. Does this officially signal that Conor‘s no longer looking to be a legitimate pure MMA fighter?
“Now that he’s doing these events, extravaganzas, if you will, for this kind of money, does it signal, really, an end to his legitimacy as an MMA fighter? If so, I don’t think it should be forgotten how great he really was, and it might be the end.”
Atlas compares McGregor to Ali
Despite competing in different fighting disciplines, Atlas believes there is a very flattering comparison between McGregor and, arguably the most famous athlete of all-time, Muhammad Ali.
Known for his witty remarks and showmanship, Ali’s reputation away from the ring was just as iconic as his intimidating aura within it as both played a role in him becoming heavyweight champion on three occasions with 19 defenses.
Atlas believes McGregor‘s own showmanship is part of why the UFC has grown to be as successful as it is today, something he believes Ali did for boxing throughout the 1960s and 1970s too with iconic bouts against Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Sonny Liston.
“But I don’t think it should be forgotten that he was a great UFC fighter and champion,” Atlas added of McGregor. “And he brought the sport to a different level of paydays, much like [Muhammad] Ali did in boxing.”