Influencer reacts after butt kick from UFC star, Conor McGregor could get sued, AI ring girl eyed for mega boxing match: MMA News Roundup

An influencer reacts after a video of him getting his backside kicked by a UFC star goes public. Elsewhere, Conor McGregor is prophesied to get sued if he goes ahead with the Logan Paul fight.

Here are your top combat sports updates for today.

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Influencer reacts after backside kick from Sean O'Malley

Sean O'Malley appeared in a fan event in Tokyo as part of the fight week festivities ahead of RIZIN's year-end event, originally set to feature Ryan Garcia's exhibition fight against Rukiya Anpo before the boxer pulled out.

During the show, the MC, Joseph Greenwood aka JOY, requested Sugar kick his backside playfully. O'Malley obliged and landed a rather tame kick on the influencer's behind.

The UFC star later shared the video on his Snapchat with a hilarious caption:

"Idk how to explain this one snap fam."

JOY reacted to the experience in Japanese on Instagram with a heartfelt message for O'Malley:

"He was so witty and cool and sweet. I never dreamed I'd be able to talk to O'Malley, who I watched in action in the UFC, and I'm truly honored. Even though he's a superstar, he was very kind and polite to each and every fan, and I think that's why he captures the hearts of so many people. Thank you so much for coming to Japan!"

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UFC could sue Conor McGregor, says former fighter

Veteran MMA referee 'Big' John McCarthy believes UFC could sue Conor McGregor for fighting Logan Paul. The two are reportedly set to clash for $250 million each as part of a 'Visit India' tourism campaign in Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.

However, McGregor's deal with the UFC could be a roadblock to the contest if the promotion doesn't allow it to happen. If the Irishman attempts to ignore the contract, he could find himself entangled in another lawsuit, said McCarthy on the WEIGHING IN podcast:

"The real question is his contract with the UFC… The only way for him to be able to get that fight is they’ve got to allow it... They can sue him… They have a contract, right? He signed that contract… They will sue him. He will lose, okay? Now, will he pay? Can they get the money from him? I can’t say that. But does he want to go out in that fashion? That doesn’t make sense.”

Brendan Schaub, meanwhile, has other concerns for the Dubliner. The former heavyweight fighter said that McGregor, despite his years of fighting experience and many accolades, could get "f*cked up" by Paul if he doesn't take the clash seriously.

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Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua could feature AI ring girls

Boxing saw the first-ever AI judge in the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury fight under the banner of Riyadh Season. It even impressed fans with a score close enough to the official result of the fight.

Now, there's a possibility that Fury's next fight will see AI ring girls too.

The creator of an AI influencer named Lily Hayes, who has over 850,000 followers on Instagram, recently spoke with Daily Star about the opportunity. The anonymous creator hinted that Lily could star in Fury's potential future fight with Anthony Joshua and some other boxing cards as well:

"Ring Girls have always been a massive part of boxing, but the interesting thing about AI Influencers becoming Ring Girls is fans can actually connect with them online, 24/7, and in multiple languages in the lead up to, during, and after the event. There's some big fights touted for 2025, including Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua at Wembley or in Riyadh so we'd love to get Lily on that card."

Lily is reportedly one of the most successful AI influencers out there, earning over $25,000 per month.