Conor McGregor is seen during the 75th annual Cannes film festival (Photo by Edward Berthelot/GC … [+]
Some big fight news just dropped: MMA star Conor McGregor announced that he’s in talks to face YouTuber Logan Paul in a boxing match. And, it goes without saying, the internet has some feelings about this. Specifically, it seems, feelings of boredom.
The online reaction to the potential Conor McGregor And Logan Paul shows how internet celebrities can monetize their infamy, and suggests that the public may be getting wise to this strategy.
Before we get there, though, let’s get some context about this boxing match.
Who Are Conor McGregor And Logan Paul?
Conor McGregor is an Irish mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter who won the Featherweight and Lightweight belts in the UFC. Arguably, he’s the most famous individual to emerge from the sport.
His career has slowed in recent years though, with his last fight in the octagon being a loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021.
McGregor is becoming an increasingly controversial figure, and he’s been charged with driving offenses, as well as being found liable of sexual assault in a civil case earler this year.
Logan Paul — a YouTuber, professional wrestler, and entrepreneur — has also had his fair share of scandals, including filming a vlog inside a “suicide forest” and having a class action lawsuit filed against him for his NFT-based game CryptoZoo.
It’s safe to say that the internet doesn’t always have the highest opinion of Conor McGregor and Logan Paul.
How Has The Online World Reacted To The News Of The Supposed Fight Between Conor McGregor And Logan Paul?
Not with a huge amount of enthusiasm. Although it’s still early days, the memes that have been posted tend to veer between confusion and tiredness. For example, this meme highlights the exhaustion people feel about the potential announcement:
Another angle finds users questioning why either fighter would be interested in the match, as this meme displays:
Another post uses a clip from Manchester By The Sea to reference Conor McGregor’s history of accepting fights in the UFC, and then not following through with his promises:
The overriding tone of the memes though are mocking the very idea of Conor McGregor and Logan Paul fighting:
Why Has The Internet Been Nonplussed About The Potential Conor McGregor and Logan Paul Boxing Match?
The core of the online world’s lack of excitement over the fight boils down to people getting more aware of internet fame is being leveraged to make money in combat sports.
One of the most interesting online phenomenon in recent years has been the rise of influencer boxing. The crown prince of this is Jake Paul, Logan’s brother.
He has risen through the ranks, boxing an array of ex-MMA athletes, before his crowning achievement in November: fighting Mike Tyson.
Netflix broadcast this match, which was so popular that it caused issues with streaming. The world’s most famous internet media company couldn’t adapt to demand.
What is it that caused so many people to tune in? Well, a key part of that is they want to see Jake Paul get beaten up. He’s an incredibly unpopular figure, who has miraculously turned this to his advantage by convincing people to watch his fights in the hope he gets hurt — no matter how boring the matches turn out to be.
And it’s this path that Conor McGregor and Logan Paul are following.
As we mentioned above, both are increasingly unpopular figures with an array of controversies and scandals behind them. The difference, though, is after the fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, it seems as though more people online are aware of the route that McGregor is taking: using his infamy to make money.
This—combined with the UFC fighter’s propensity for claiming he’ll fight and then not following through—means the internet is aware of two things: the chance that this boxing match will happen is low, and that McGregor and Paul are in it only for the money.
Such a huge fight should’ve broken the internet, but, instead, it feels like fans are already growing tired of the YouTuber boxing trend. Still, memes aren’t objective truth. If the Conor McGregor and Logan Paul fight does go ahead, you can be sure it’ll hook in millions of watchers and tens of millions of dollars. It’s simply that the downtrend is beginning.
