YouTube and social media star Jake Paul has fired yet another shot at Conor McGregor in an attempt to coax the Irishman into once again putting on a pair of boxing gloves and entering a ring rather than an Octagon.This is just another move in an enormous, albeit rather one-sided game of PR chess.The American is clearly high on confidence after his brutal second-round KO of former NBA star Nate Robinson in his second professional boxing match. His first saw him comfortably defeat UK YouTube fan favourite AnEsonGib with a slightly less brutal TKO.However, beating two boxing novices is one thing, and aside from the fact Nate Robinson was clearly not fit to step into a boxing ring with no head-guard and 10oz gloves, stepping up to fight a world level, professional martial artist with a stand-up, strike-orientated style is a big jump up.Nevertheless, either with financial motivation or simply the clout that would be gained by stepping into a ring with Conor McGregor, Jake Paul has gone after the Irishman yet again, taking his trash talk game to the next level.In a video captured by a friend on Miami Beach, the YouTuber is sat with two girls and a bottle of champagne as a plane flies past trailing a banner on which is written “Conor McGregor is scared of Jake Paul,"The friend excitedly asks: “Yo, you see that s***?”, to which Paul nonchalantly replies: “Ah yeah, he’s a b****."

Much like his previous attack on McGregor, in which he was filmed eating chicken to which he likened the Irishman, the banner seemingly lacks invention or humour, failing to attract any serious attention from McGregor. All he got was a name check in a recent BT Sport interview in which the martial artist referred to him as “a confused little kid.”

Very few people genuinely believe the YouTuber could win this fight, even he himself must have doubts, meaning that McGregor must think so little of his threat that he has chosen to ignore it almost completely.

Another reason for his lack of Conor-esque response is that he has more pressing matters to attend to; his upcoming January 23 rematch with Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 on UFC Fight Island in Abu Dhabi will be no walk in the park.

The Dubliner’s return to the Octagon has been hotly anticipated by MMA fans. It will have been almost exactly a year to the day that he brutally knocked out Cowboy Cerrone in 40 seconds at UFC 246, the fight that was supposed to mark McGregor’s UFC comeback after the exploits of the Floyd Mayweather boxing bout.

COVID-19 threw a spanner in the works for event organisers globally, but those of combat sports were hit especially hard, with the likes of Dana White having to think on their feet in order to keep fights happening. McGregor took this down time as an opportunity to spend valuable time with his wife and young kids.

McGregor vs Poirier II should be an interesting contest after the former’s comprehensive first-round knockout in the first fight. However, the Notorious One is in high demand and do not be surprised if we once again see him in action outside the Octagon in 2021.