A FIGHT with mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor remains the realistic bout for world champion Manny Pacquiao next year because it’s a dream fight everybody wants to see.
According to Pacquiao’s camp, the People’s Champ needs something bigger than boxing. He had, after all, won titles in eight different weight classes and had beaten younger fighters like Adrien Broner and former world champion Keith Thurman.
“The Senator loves his fellow Filipinos and he likes to entertain them by fighting not only the best but what the people want – and that’s UFC star Conor McGregor. They deserve bigger fight like this or should I say this dream fight,” said the champ’s special assistant, Jayke Joson.
Pacquiao, who has a record of 62-7-2 win-loss-draw record with 39 knockouts, also has an option to fight International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Council champ Errol Spence Jr. and even reigning World Boxing Organization Terence Crawford all night.
A story by Yahoo Sports journalist Kevin Iole last Dec. 6 said Pacquiao is interested in fighting Spence after the latter’s unanimous decision win over Danny Garcia, according to MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons.
But Joson said Pacquiao, the defending World Boxing Association welterweight world titleholder, does not need to fight the undefeated Spence to cement his legacy as one of the best fighters in world boxing history.
“Pacquiao versus McGregor is a dream fight that everybody wants to see. Other fights like Spence or Crawford are no longer realistic. The senator has been a world champion and has nothing more to prove in his career, so we need something big like McGregor,” Joson said.
Pacquiao’s business manager Arnold Vegafria said Pacquiao can generate more money to help the people by fighting McGregor than Spence or Crawford.
“You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. Senator MP’s fight with McGregor will generate more funds to help his fellow Filipinos. It will give him the biggest payday; a fight against the other boxers will not give him that kind of amount,” Vegafria said.
According to various online news reports, McGregor’s previous bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr. three years ago earned him $130 million while Mayweather got $280 million.
Pacquiao is committed to donate a portion of his purse, in a fight against McGregor, to his countrymen who are victims of the pandemic.
A Pacquiao-McGregor bout, to be managed by Paradigm Sports Management President Audie Attar, could happen next year in Dubai.
