MMA great Conor McGregor mocked Jake Paul on Twitter and compared the YouTube prankster turned boxer and promoter to alleged British pedophile presenter Jimmy Savile.
Paul should have lost $1 million on Saturday as part of a bet with opposite number Eddie Hearn, until Hearn revealed that the wager wasn't allowed to go ahead as promoters cannot bet on their own fight - something that Hearn described as "not a good look" for the duo.
At the conclusion of what many dubbed one of the greatest fights of all time, though, Matchroom chief Hearn's charge Katie Taylor retained her WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring female lightweight titles with a thrilling split decision over Paul's fighter Amanda Serrano.
In the aftermath of the victory that left fans demanding an immediate rematch, McGregor, who had been cheering his compatriot Taylor on from afar and dubbed her 'The Greatest', took a dig at Paul.
"Who the f*** is this jackass in the pink Jimmy Savile glasses?" the former two-weight UFC champion asked of Paul, who was present for the event at Madison Square Garden and took part in a post-fight interview, in a tweet that has already received over 42,000 likes.
Biting the bait almost immediately, Paul responded in under half an hour.
"I'm the one who has done more for fighters than you ever have," Paul balked while quoting the Irishman's tweet.
"The one who has won five fights in the past two years while you have lost five," he said as per McGregor's record in the octagon.
"The one who isn’t owned by [UFC president] Dana White. The one who made the fight you just watched happen. The one who got your hero Katie Taylor paid that’s who," Paul further insisted.
Refusing to engage Paul directly, however, and merely try and wind him up more, McGregor simply replied with a picture of Savile, who died in 2011 aged 84 before 300 alleged victims of sexual attacks came forward and Scotland Yard described the BBC icon as a "predatory sex offender".
Paul's accusation regarding McGregor's fight career is slightly off in that 'Notorious' has fought just twice in the last 24 months while defeated by former lightweight title contender Dustin Poirier on both occasions.
Teasing a switch to MMA after beating ex-UFC welterweight Tyron Woodley twice in the squared circle, Paul has called McGregor out for what would be a lucrative cross-over bout.
"If I win, you agree to my UFC fighter pay and healthcare proposal," Paul challenged another nemesis in the promotion's chief, White.
"If I lose, I donate my entire purse to all UFC fighters who make less than ($50,000) a fight and never mention UFC again. Deal?."
"I would KO Conor in boxing or MMA," Paul has also bragged. "Right hand of God."
Constantly being demerited by respected figures in the fight game, however, Paul also received shade from Taylor before the fight that Paul co-promoted.
"As far as Jake Paul – this isn't a game," Taylor said to DAZN.
"This is actually a real fight. He's never been involved in a fight like this and he never will be involved in a fight like this. So this is actually a genuine, real fight and he knows nothing about this."
"Katie I appreciate you thanking me for making this fight happen at a level Eddie never could," Paul fired back, also on Twitter.
"But the only thing real is you, your team and Eddie talk a lot of s*** but can’t back it up. Respect on your legacy. But Amanda Serrano is the greatest female boxer of all time. And New," he falsely predicted, elsewhere protesting that Serrano was "robbed"