5 times celebrities challenged MMA fighters to a fight

Since emerging in the 1990s, MMA has seen a phenomenal rise in its popularity in the last decade or so. Be it the lucrative contracts or fame, fighters are flocking in large numbers to take it up as a profession.

The highly intense sport rose to prominence predominantly with the birth of the UFC.

Requiring a thorough knowledge of various kinds of martial arts like kickboxing, Muay Thai, wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, MMA has come a long way since its inception.

Such has been its popularity that UFC 229, headlined by Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, recorded a massive 2.2 million buys in the United States, making it the biggest pay-per-view event in the history of MMA.

While the sport itself is brutal, it is generally fought by fighters who are trained for the intensity that it demands. However, there have been instances of people from outside the world of MMA daring to lock horns with these highly skilled professionals. While some have had feuds with them, many took their rivalry a step further.

From YouTubers to NFL players, here are five instances where celebrities challenged MMA fighters to a fight.

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#5. Chad Johnson vs. Anderson Silva (34-11-0 (1 NC) MMA record)

Anderson Silva (left) and Chad Johnson (right) [Image credits: @spiderandersonsilva and @ochocinco on Instagram]

The former National Football League (NFL) wide receiver is yet another example of a celebrity trying to engage with an MMA professional. Johnson, also known as Ochocinco until 2012, called out former UFC middleweight champion Anderson 'The Spider' Silva.

He asked Dana White to arrange a fight with 'The Spider'.

Although Dana White did seem interested initially, the fight did not materialize.

Johnson made his professional boxing debut earlier this year against Brian Maxwell. He looked good until he was knocked out in the fourth round. Despite losing the bout, Johnson jokingly called out Conor McGregor as he felt he was "ready".

#4. Logan Paul vs. Conor McGregor (22-6-0 MMA record)

Logan Paul seems ready for Conor McGregor

MMA living legend Conor McGregor is widely known for his volatile temper. Be it trash talking with other fighters or getting physical outside the octagon, Conor has done it all.

In 2019, McGregor got into a brawl with an elderly man at The Marble Arch Pub in Dublin. The argument culminated in the man getting punched in the head by Conor. McGregor later appeared in court and was fined 1,000 euros.

YouTuber and boxer Logan Paul was not impressed. Speaking to Fight Hub TV, he challenged the Irish MMA star to fight him:

"I swear to God, yeah, I'll fight Conor. He's f------ punching old men in the face."

McGregor isn't someone known to let an attack on him slide. While speaking to News Au earlier this year, hit back at the Paul brothers, calling them "dingbats":

“I couldn’t care about them two dingbats.”

With McGregor currently nursing an injured leg, the question remains - will Conor accept the challenge?

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#3. Drew McIntyre vs. Colby Covington (16-2-0 MMA record)

Drew McIntyre called out Covington for his comments.

It comes as no surprise that WWE and the UFC, two of the world's biggest promotions, often share center stage. Verbal duels between athletes from both organizations have been happening for quite some time now.

One such incident involved former WWE champion Drew McIntyre butting heads with former Interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington.

Covington's claims regarding making "wrestling great again" did not sit well with McIntyre. He hit back at Covington, reminding him of his loss at UFC 245 to Kamaru Usman. Covington, who faces Usman in a rematch at UFC 268, had to leave the octagon with a injured jaw the first time around.

Things didn't stop there. In an interview with ESPN, the former WWE champion went a step further by threatening to break Covington's jaw in a non-title fight:

“I’ll smash his head in, I’ll shut him up. I’ll break his jaw like [Kamaru] Usman did, and then more people watch WWE. So, Colby, I’ll fight you. No title shot though, that’s reserved for the WWE superstars.”

While speaking to ESPN, Covington responded back by promising to "take his soul out of his body":

"Drew McIntyre, he's lucky it's quarantine right now... But I promise you, when things get back to normal, Ariel, I'm gonna go find Drew McIntyre, I'm gonna hunt him down, and I'm gonna take his soul out of his body."

#2. Jake Paul vs. Jorge Masvidal ( 35-15-0 MMA record)

Jake Paul at Usman v Masvidal 2

After defeating Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley, Jake Paul set his eyes on another MMA star: Jorge Masvidal. He recently took to Twitter to ask Dana White to allow a fight with his "star talent".

As mentioned in the tweet, if the fight were to materialize, it would be Paul's first fight with an MMA combatant still arguably in their prime. Both Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren came out of retirement to face Jake Paul in the ring.

Masvidal too seems open to fighting either Jake or his brother Logan. In an interview with ESPN MMA, he said:

"I'm gonna beat up all the Pauls. If they put money in my pocket—that Logan Paul dude, Jake Paul, whoever Paul dudes—if they put money in my pocket, of course I'd like to break some Disney characters' faces."

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#1. Jake Paul vs Conor McGregor ( 22-6-0 MMA record)

If there are two individuals it's difficult to take the limelight from, it's Jake Paul and Conor McGregor. The star YouTuber has been calling out McGregor for quite some time. He challenged Conor back in 2020 after the Nate Robinson fight, but the Irishman declined.

Verbal bashing has been going on for quite some time between the two. McGregor's involvement in an incident in Italy has once again sparked speculation concerning a Jake Paul vs. Conor McGregor fight. Conor was in Italy recently when he attacked a DJ and Paul hasn't been quiet about it.

McGregor (left) and Paul (right) [ Image credits: @thenotoriousmma and @jakepaul on Instagram]

Immediately after the incident, Paul took to Twitter to call out the Irish fighter. Accusing Conor of being on drugs, Paul threw open his challenge to meet him in the ring. McGregor is yet to accept it.