GEORGE GROVES BACKS JAKE PAUL TO BEAT CONOR MCGREGOR IN NEXT FIGHT
George Groves says Jake Paul's loss to Anthony Joshua makes him the favourite against Conor McGregor. Get the 2026 fight details.
A former world champ thinks Jake Paul should make Conor McGregor his next big fight.
Last month, Paul took the second loss of his pro boxing career—Anthony Joshua stopped him in the 6th round in Miami. Paul broke his jaw in two places during that fight, so he’s out for a while. He’ll probably be back before the end of the year, though.
Paul’s talked about moving back to cruiserweight and chasing a world title, but George Groves, the former WBA super-middleweight champion, has a different idea. He thinks Paul should go after Conor McGregor instead.
Groves spoke with BetVictor and didn’t hold back. He actually backs Paul to beat McGregor, calling it a real possibility. “Conor McGregor is the biggest name in MMA, but his boxing skills just aren’t on the same level,” Groves said. “That’s probably where Jake Paul is headed.”
Groves pointed out that in boxing, money talks. “You can get a ranking, an interim belt, whatever you want if you bring in money. But going after something like the USA Cruiserweight Championship—nobody really cares. Paul needs to fight famous names. Conor McGregor would sell big time.”
He kept going: “Honestly, I think Jake Paul beats McGregor. He’s not scared of anything now. He’s already fought Anthony Joshua—he’s basically climbed Everest with no harness. There’s nothing left to rattle him. McGregor’s trash talk won’t do it. If anything, Paul might get under McGregor’s skin. The hype would be unreal. Maybe the fight would start as boxing, then turn into wrestling, then just go bare-knuckle for the last rounds. I’d actually make Jake Paul the favourite.”
For the record, McGregor did box professionally back in 2017. He went up against Floyd Mayweather Jr in Las Vegas and made it to the 10th round before Mayweather stopped him.
THE WALKOUT: UNCOVERING WHY DEONTAY WILDER STORMED OUT OF THE SIMON JORDAN INTERVIEW
Is Wilder finished? Analyse the O2 Arena heavyweight drama, Riley’s 13-0 streak, and the EBU title stakes on April 4.
Viddal Riley is getting a massive chance at the European title on the same night Deontay Wilder and Derek Chisora square off in London.
Wilder and Chisora are set for a heavyweight clash on April 4 at the O2 Arena. The stakes couldn’t be higher; whoever walks away with the win lines themselves up for a shot at Oleksandr Usyk’s unified world title. For the loser, this could be the end of the road.
MF Pro is putting on the show, and they’ve just signed Riley, who’s now set to fight on the undercard. He’s taking on EBU European champion Mateusz Masternak in what’s easily the biggest test of his career so far. Riley just grabbed the British title, and now he’s eyeing a second belt in a row.
The EBU ordered the fight, and it’s Riley’s big chance to prove he belongs at the top. Here’s how he put it: “It’s a new dawn. It’s a new chapter. MF PRO is the start of something fresh for me, and what better way to kick things off than with a real challenge? I’ve decided to go after a seasoned veteran and former world title contender for his EBU Cruiserweight belt. This fight means everything for my climb toward world honours. I know it’s a tough test, but I’m ready to shine.”
He’s pumped about the main event, too: “Chisora vs Wilder is a huge night, and I can’t wait to show what I can do for my new promoters, who are really backing me.”
Riley’s undefeated in 13 fights, and he hasn’t missed a step. If he wins, he’s set to rocket up the world rankings. He’s already got a big following online, and a statement win here could really launch him into the spotlight.
With all eyes on Wilder vs Chisora, Riley’s fight gets an extra boost. This is supposed to be Chisora’s 50th and final bout, at least that’s what he says, and a win would send him out on a high in front of the home crowd. Wilder, on the other hand, needs to put on a show and prove he’s still got it at 40.
The hype is real; both fighters even got into it with talkSPORT host Simon Jordan. Things got heated, and at one point, Wilder stormed out after a grilling about Tyson Fury. The drama’s building, and April 4 is shaping up to be a wild night for British boxing.
THE MMA PIVOT: WHY ANTHONY JOSHUA IS TRAINING WITH KHABIB AFTER NIGERIA TRAGEDY
Anthony Joshua's boxing career is in doubt: Read Eddie Hearn's update on the Fury fight and Islam Makhachev's Dagestan invitation.
People are starting to wonder if Anthony Joshua could swap boxing for MMA and really shake things up. Right now, he’s still recovering after a terrible car crash in Nigeria last December that killed two of his close friends. He’s back to some light training, but the comeback is slow. Lately, he was spotted at a PFL MMA event in Dubai, just hanging out backstage with Khabib Nurmagomedov, which got people talking even more.
Islam Makhachev, who took over from Khabib in the UFC, seems to think Joshua could actually pull it off. “He showed me and said, ‘I want to make T-shirts,’” Makhachev told Arena Fight TV. “I told him, ‘Okay, I’ll help you with that, but you have to come to Dagestan and work on your wrestling.’ This guy is huge and already one of the best boxers in the world. If he gets his wrestling up, just imagine how dangerous he’d be in MMA.”
Joshua was supposed to fight again in March and then go for a big September bout with Tyson Fury. But after the crash, everything changed. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, admitted, “Before this terrible incident, we were all set for March and then Fury. That’s obviously not happening now, and honestly, I can’t say if it ever will.”
Still, Hearn hasn’t given up hope. “In the next few weeks or months, he’ll probably ramp things up and get back into a proper training camp. There are no promises he’ll fight again, but I expect he will. He loves it, and in a way, it’s something that helps him carry the memory of his friends. Physically, what he’s been through was rough, maybe rougher than most people realise. He’s been working out, but he’s just not ready yet. It’s going to take some time before he’s truly back.”