New Details On Justin Bieber Challenging Tom Cruise To An MMA Fight (And How Conor McGregor's Involved)
No one knows why.
Instagram In the latest edition of "celebrities are not at all like us," we have an epic throw down in the making. In one corner we have 25-year-old Canadian singer Justin Bieber who is still trying to grow a respectable mustache. In the other corner we have 56-year-old Tom Cruise, a man who's known for doing his own stunts even when that means jumping between rooftops in Paris. Bieber has, for some reason that is completely unknown to everyone but him, challenged Cruise to an MMA fight. On Sunday, Bieber took to Twitter and wrote: "I wanna challenge Tom Cruise to fight in the octagon. Tom if you don't take this fight your (sic) scared and you will never live it down. Who is willing to put on the fight? @danawhite?" You know, not for nothing, I did go to high school with Dana White, and I can imagine his gleeful reaction to this bit of nonsense. So, what is actually going on with Justin Bieber and why does he want to fight Tom Cruise?
1. Just a normal Sunday
So maybe he needs his meds adjusted? The tweet seemed to come out of nowhere and Bieber's manager Scooter Braun weighed in on it. Braun shared a tweet from Billboard that said: "@justinbieber challenges #TomCruise to 'fight in the octagon.'" Braun said: "Of course he did. Just a normal Sunday." He went on to say: "But I have no interest in watching or helping in making this happen unless it includes crushed glass on the knuckles and a live bear released in to the octagon in the 4th round. Oh and the money should go to charity of course."
2. Kevin Smith has advice for Biebs on how to beat Cruise
Filmmaker Kevin Smith had some advice for Bieber. He wrote: "You wanna control Cruise in this match? 1) Don’t fight him on a couch: he can be bouncy," referencing Cruise's 2005 couch-jumping on The Oprah Winfrey Show. He went on to write: "2) Make sure you’re fighting the actual Tom Cruise, because he’s king of impossible rubber mask reveals. 3) If he slides into the Octagon in Wayfarers and undies, go for his parents’ Porsche."
3. A cry for help
Why does Bieber want to fight anyone, let alone Tom Cruise? His tweet was oddly Kanye-esque in its bizarreness and out of the blue nature. As a rule, happy and well-adjusted celebrities do not sit around fantasizing about punching other celebrities in the face for no reason.
4. Did he just see Top Gun for the first time?
Did Justin Bieber happen to catch Top Gun for the first time over the weekend? Does he think Tom Cruise is 56? Why is he challenging someone to an MMA fight at all, let alone someone 31 years older than he is?
5. The internet is loving it
From pointing out that both Bieber and Cruise are shorter than 5'10" to schooling Bieber on his grammar (it's you're, Biebs) to UFC and boxing stars offering to promote the match if it happens — Bieber's challenge has unleashed some epic memes. Dr. Ruth wins the internet today.
6. Conor McGregor wants in on the action.
UFC star Conor McGregor wants to promote the fight if it happens (it won't). He tweeted: "If Tom Cruise is man enough to accept this challenge, McGregor Sports and Entertainment will host the bout. Does Cruise have the sprouts to fight, like he does in the movies? Stay tuned to find out!" McGregor and Justin Bieber bonded back in April over their shared Irish heritage. Then McGregor did something almost as bizarre as Bieber — he issued a challenge to fight Mark Wahlberg.
7. Tom would win it in a minute
Look, I'm no fan of Tom Cruise — he lost me with the manic couch jumping episode back in the Katie Holmes days. But when it comes down to it, Cruise has what it takes. He was on his high school's wrestling team and has three decades of doing his own stunts on his movies — including fight scenes. To get a scene right on Mission: Impossible Fallout, Cruise jumped out of a plane 106 times just so that he could get all the right shots from the right angles. Bieber, on the other hand, was punched by Orlando Bloom, egged a neighbor's house, eats a burrito from the center and abandoned his pet monkey in another country. Sit down, son.
Neither Tom Cruise nor Dana White have responded to Justin Bieber as of Monday afternoon.
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. She is deeply devoted to her chocolate Labrador and an avid long distance runner. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.