Jake Paul and Conor McGregor exchanged insults during a BKFC press conference, with Paul criticizing McGregor and bare-knuckle fighters while also teasing a potential future fight against McGregor after his upcoming match against Mike Perry.
Jake Paul has no love lost for Conor McGregor. Especially not after the Irish superstar insulted him during a BKFC press conference on Thursday.
After becoming a part owner in the bare-knuckle fighting promotion, McGregor touted his support for Mike Perry. He referred to Paul as “a little dweeb.” In response, Paul first fired shots at Perry and bare-knuckle fighters in general. Eventually, he turned his attention to McGregor.
“First of all, he’s big upping the BKFC but you’re going to see what I did to their best fighter on Saturday night,” Paul said during the pre-fight press conference. “I’m going to embarrass their whole entire league.”
“This guy has no skill,” Paul continued. “Those are just brawler, idiot, street fighter dudes who have no idea what the sweet science is. Conor McGregor can say what he wants but he won’t fight me either.”
Funny enough, Paul teased a potential crossover into bare-knuckle fighting for a rematch against Perry after they meet in the boxing ring. Of course, Perry scoffed at the idea that Paul would actually risk stepping into the ring against him without gloves on.
As far as McGregor goes, Paul spent years calling for a fight against the Irish superstar. Nothing ever materialized because the former two-division champion remains under contract with the UFC.
It seems unlikely Paul gets the answer he wants this time around either. But he still suggested an eventual showdown against McGregor in the boxing ring.
“Once I knock out Mike Perry, Conor McGregor let’s run it but you won’t do it because you know what’s going to happen,” Paul said. “You saw what I did to Nate Diaz, who you went toe-to-toe with.”
“So Conor McGregor,” Paul added with a smirk, “lay off the cocaine, get in the gym and start winning fights and then maybe we can have a conversation.”
Despite McGregor now owning a piece of BKFC, Perry didn’t exactly embrace his comments either. Although he definitely defended bare-knuckle fighters from Paul’s jabs at them.
During the BKFC press conference, McGregor called Perry “one of our big stars here.” He added that Perry titles himself as “the King of Violence.” Perry was quick to remind everyone that his title was bestowed upon him by BKFC after finishing ex-UFC champion Eddie Alvarez.
He also touted himself as a co-owner of BKFC before McGregor ever arrived on the scene.
“He’s a disrespectful punk,” Perry said about Paul. “Those men and women fight for their families over there. They put it all on the line and they get in that ring and they put on shows for fans.”
“Conor said my name was self-proclaimed but they gave me ‘King of Violence,’” Perry continued proudly. “And my tequila is going to be better than his whiskey when it comes out soon—platinum tequila! And I was an owner first in that company!”
The war of words between Paul and Perry likely comes to an end for now—outside of jawing at each other at weigh-ins on Friday—but otherwise these two now gear up for their fight on Saturday night from Tampa.