Eddie Hearn has warned Jake Paul he could end up in a violent "strike on sight" scenario with Conor McGregor if he continues to make disrespectful comments.
The YouTube star is eyeing a fight with UFC star McGregor whom he has tried to entice into a rivalry on social media. His recent comments accused McGregor of ducking a fight and promised to settle their rivalry, just weeks after offering UFC president Dana White the chance to stage a UFC meeting.
And Matchroom Boxing kingpin Hearn believes Paul is playing with fire with his comments to McGregor. "He is now in a world where it's strike on sight," Hearn said on the MMA Hour. "If you say something to someone that is offensive to someone or disrespectful, it is strike on sight. Jake said stuff about Conor McGregor, when I have heard it it, I was like... this is a different world.
"It is a different world; this isn't YouTube or Disney where you can get away with saying whatever you want, it is a strike on sight world. There will be no mediations or conversations with the wrong person. But that is the game he is playing and he is pushing that game with a lot of people and it is working for him."
McGregor had refused to engage with Paul on social media - but the Irishman finally responded after Paul moved to criticise footage of his return to boxing training. The 33-year-old branded Paul a "jack***" in a video before shadow boxing in front of the camera.
Paul was then present on the broadcast of his charge Amanda Serrano's historic fight with Katie Taylor last weekend when McGregor produced a mocking social media post, tweeting: "Who the f*** is this jack*** in the pink Jimmy Saville glasses?"
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Paul then responded: "I'm the one who has done more for fighters than you ever have; the one who has won five fights in the past two years while you have lost five. The one who isn’t owned by Dana White, the one who made the fight you just watched happen, the one who got your hero Katie Taylor paid, that’s who."
McGregor later hit back with another picture of Jimmy Saville and appeared to have the final word. Paul and McGregor have yet to engage in any formal talks over a bout but it could now be staged with McGregor's added weight bridging a significant size difference.
Paul continued his mocking of McGregor after the fight making a comment about his rival's height. "We had a little bit of banter back-and-forth, but of course he always has something to say but he doesn't really have a place to talk," he said. He hasn't won a fight in five years, he's not tall enough to ride a rollercoaster and I feel bad for him because he's ducking me. But we'll get that settled one day."
