MMA Knockout

Stephen A. Smith: Conor McGregor Faces UFC Failure and Logan Paul Defeat

Stephen A. Smith has no faith in McGregor winning in the UFC, or against Logan Paul.

Mathew Riddle

McGregor (Instagram) / Smith (Justin Ford/Getty Images) / Paul (Michael Reeves/Getty Images)

Opinions of Conor McGregor are of an all-time low. Following a long stint of MMA inactivity, paired with being found liable of sexual assault by the Irish High Court this year, McGregor's status as a UFC fighter and businessman/celebrity are being highly scrutinized.

Now, McGregor criticism has found the realm of NBA punditry as Sports television personality Stephen A. Smith got brutally honest on McGregor's chances back in the UFC, and against his rumored next opponent, WWE star Logan Paul.

Stephen A. Smith
Oct 23, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Stephen A. Smith (Stephen Smith) on the ESPN NBA Countdown live set at Intuit Dome. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Smith: McGregor would get 'ass kicked' back in the UFC

Speaking on ESPN's First Take, Smith gave his bold take on McGregor returning to the UFC.

"I don't think he's ready to be back in the UFC," Smith remarked. "I think he would get his ass kicked thoroughly. These fighters are elite, they take this very seriously, and their definition of being in shape and ready to fight isn't bloating themselves up with muscles and looking good in the mirror.

"... [Donald Cerrone is] the only victory he's had in seven years."

Conor McGregor
Jun 9, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; MMA fighter Conor McGregor during halftime in game four of the 2023 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets at Kaseya Center. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Following McGregor's shock reveal that he plans to box Logan Paul, Smith believes it doesn't work out in favor of 'The Notorious'.

"I think Logan Paul is going to beat him. I don't think Conor is a boxer, he's a striker," Smith remarked. " ... I just think that Logan Paul is bigger. He's a much bigger man, he's a more experienced boxer."

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Mathew Riddle
MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with over five years of experience in digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMAKO in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on The Fight Fanatic, Heavy on UFC, Fansided, and Sportskeeda. Reach him at mr@thefightfanatic.com.

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