While Jake Paul’s decision to step up against Anthony Joshua was admirable, it ended painfully, with a jaw broken in two places. The Brit made short work of him, scoring a sixth-round knockout earlier this month. Now, the inevitable question looms—what’s next for ‘The Problem Child’? Fortunately for Paul, another blockbuster name has entered the conversation: Conor McGregor. 

The former UFC champion dipped his toes into boxing in 2017, suffering a defeat to Floyd Mayweather. Since then, McGregor has flirted with a return to the boxing ring, though none of those talks have materialized. But after Jake vs. Joshua, George Groves floated a wild new idea for a fight between Paul and McGregor. Amid this outlandish proposal, McGregor has added fuel to the fire, taking shots at Paul and stoking speculation even further.

Conor McGregor shares cheeky dietary advice

Hours ago, ‘El Gallo’ took to X to share a motivational message with his fans. “God is great. Broken jaw, but brain and spine all clear,” he wrote on the platform. “Never been more motivated. Merry Christmas to all around the world. Never stop trying to be great. You are guaranteed 100% failure if you don’t try.” The post quickly drew hundreds of responses from both critics and supporters, including one from Conor McGregor.

“Indeed! God is great! Enjoy your Christmas smoothies bro 👊,” McGregor replied, taking a pointed dig at Paul’s broken jaw.

Anthony Joshua’s KO punch in the sixth round fractured Paul’s jaw in two places—an injury Paul reportedly realized shortly after the fight. He later shared X-ray images confirming the extent of the damage. As McGregor alluded to, the YouTuber-turned-boxer will be restricted to a liquid-based diet until his jaw fully heals. Even though injuries are an unavoidable part of boxing, a broken jaw is far from routine.

Basic healing can take four to six weeks, with full recovery sometimes stretching up to nine months. What that timeline looks like for Paul remains to be seen. This setback also comes after he competed in two fights this year—albeit not necessarily against the opponents he had hoped for. Regardless, the development follows closely on the heels of George Groves floating the idea of a unique crossover bout between Jake Paul and Conor McGregor.

Groves’ proposed rules for Jake Paul vs. ‘The Notorious’

If Jake Paul and Conor McGregor ever agree to face each other, Groves believes the bout should feature a unique set of mixed rules to maximize intrigue. While McGregor has gone ten rounds once, in his boxing debut against Mayweather, Paul has never competed in a 12-round fight. To bridge that gap, Groves proposed a hybrid format that blends multiple combat disciplines into one spectacle, spanning nine rounds.

“It could be a boxing match for the first three rounds, then a wrestling match, and then just bare-knuckle for the last three. I make Jake Paul the favorite,” Groves said. The idea plays to both fighters’ strengths while creating something entirely new for fans. McGregor’s MMA pedigree and Paul’s growing boxing experience would collide in a contest built for chaos, entertainment, and massive commercial appeal. 

While unconventional, such a format could make Paul vs. McGregor one of the most talked-about crossover fights in combat sports history. That being said, such a fight is as far from reality as it could be. But there appears to be plenty of backstory between the fighters to make things interesting. Would you watch the fight?