Conor McGregor has changed his mind again about a potential fight against KSI, after previously stating that he was no longer interested in fighting the YouTuber-turned-boxer.
In August 2023, the Irishman called up the London-born internet star for a bare-knuckle boxing match after Anthony Joshua’s victory against Robert Helenius at London’s O2 Arena.
KSI and McGregor were present and the former UFC champion stormed the ring and said, “I know your man KSI is in the crowd and he couldn’t pack eggs if he worked in an egg boxing factory.”
“So if he wants to come in here, I’ll give him one final yoke, bare-knuckle if you want.”
The 35-year-old has since withdrawn his offer to the content creator, telling Mirror “wasn’t interested” and that his initial call had been a joke.
“It was just a bit of fun,” he said when asked why he made those comments.
More recently, Tommy Fury claimed to fight McGregor after Joshua’s sensational second-round knockout victory against Francis Ngannou last week.
Fury bested KSI via a controversial majority decision victory in October 2023 and appears to be considering a sensational return to the ring against the former UFC champion, who once swapped the octagon for the boxing ring to face Manny Pacquiao.
He told DAZN: ‘I’ve seen Jake Paul is fighting Mike Tyson, I mean why not me and McGregor next? “I have a comeback fight and I would like him to come back, so McGregor, get in touch.”
McGregor could be hamstrung by his UFC commitments, as the former champion is set to return after suffering a devastating leg fracture during his fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021.
Despite his lucrative deal with the UFC, which could prevent him from returning to the ring, the Irish MMA star claimed he would now be open to fighting KSI.
“Yeah, you know, YouTube nerds might say: I would consider it a nixer (a side job),” McGregor told SneekPeakTV.
‘Your uncle’s friend needs a damn radiator installed in his house, so you’ll do extra work and get paid extra.
‘I would consider them nixers. If I had to pick one of them I would say KSI, he has a big name in the UK.
Fury also expressed his reaction to former Love Island star Fury’s desire to fight him.
‘(Tommy) Fury called me yesterday, he beat Jake and fought KSI, so it’s like another small world, right?’
“I’m open to it.” McGregor concluded. “I will never say no, I will never say no.”
There were rumors that McGregor could return to fight at UFC 300, but those claims were shot down after Dana White revealed that the main event of UFC 300 will see Alex Pereira defend his light heavyweight crown against Jamahal Hill.
But it looks like he could return in 2024 and admitted he wants to fight Nate Diaz and Michael Chandler after his three-year hiatus.
Meanwhile, Jake Paul, 27, has shocked the boxing world after it was announced he would face former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, 57.
Their encounter has attracted a lot of attention online, with some fans left baffled by the fight, while others warned Paul, another YouTube boxing sensation, that he could get hurt.
And McGregor admitted he was stumped by the fight, stating: ‘The Pauls… That fight with (Mike) Tyson is strange to me, I hope Tyson gets his nose off.
‘I’m sure at some point (I’ll end up fighting one of them), I’m sure at some point. You know, we’ll check out all these guys.