YouTube star Jake Paul says a fight between him and Conor McGregor will happen, and he's even gone as far as saying he will beat the UFC superstar.

The social media entertainer is confident he can beat the Irish MMA legend in a boxing ring, despite McGregor’s long career in martial arts.

Paul followed his brother’s move into professional boxing back in January when he took on fellow internet star Ali Eson Gib in a fully sanctioned professional fight. 

He soundly won that fight in the first round, which has seen his confidence levels increase massively; so much so that he nows wants McGregor.

This weekend he will fight former NBA player Nate Robinson and hopes to progress to fighting professionals with experience in the future. 

Paul told BT Sport Boxing: "Jake Paul vs Conor McGregor will happen. People think that's crazy and Jake's going to get his a** kicked but we'll see.

"These MMA guys go to practice every day and have to spend their whole day on one thing - elbows, knees, grappling, take downs so there's a lot they have to work on.

"But I've been going into the gym for the past three years and all I've been focusing on is boxing, so come over into my arena and you're going to get your a** beat.”

McGregor famously switched disciplines once before, taking on Floyd Mayweather in a high-selling pay-per-view bout. The Irishman was stopped in the 10th round of their Las Vegas showdown, but in truth, he didn't embarrass himself like many predicted he would.

However, Paul’s view of McGregor as an MMA fighter with no boxing skill certainly sounds like an underestimation of his talents. The Irishman made his start in amateur boxing and has been renowned throughout his MMA career for stopping power and combination punching. 

Whether the two really can meet in a boxing ring is debatable, though, given the notable weight disparity between the two fighters. 

McGregor weighed in at 153lbs for his fight against ‘Money’ Mayweather. Conversely, Paul weighed in at 191 ½lbs to fight Gib. That’s a huge disparity in boxing terms, making a fight unlikely in the near future.

McGregor is set to return to the Octagon himself in January in a rematch with the USA’s Dustin Poirier.