Is Manny Pacquiao vs Conor McGregor likely to get a date after UFC 257 loss?
The speculations regarding a super fight between Conor McGregor and Manny Pacquiao abruptly died down following the Irishman's loss at UFC 257.
Although it seems that the 32-year-old may not share the boxing ring with Pacquiao anytime soon, a fight between them is still entirely possible in the future. If Conor McGregor returns to his winning ways in the UFC, and reclaims the lightweight championship, Pacquaio might consider boxing 'The Notorious'.
After McGregor lost to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, his fight against 'PacMan' - which seemed imminent at one point - was rumored to be off the table. Moreover, up-and-coming boxing star Ryan Garcia had claimed that his team is trying to work out a deal with Pacquiao for a possible fight, hinting that the Filipino boxer may have moved on from the McGregor clash.
Considering the star power and marketability of Conor McGregor and Manny Pacquiao, it goes without saying that a fight between them could be a box-office success. And neither of the men would want to miss out on the huge pay day.
Last month, PacMan had stated that he intends to fight McGregor. He also revealed that a portion of his earnings from the fight will be donated to COVID-19 victims in Philippines.
"They're my options (Errol Spencer and Conor McGregor), but right now, I want to experience fighting an mixed martial artist. I will also donate a big portion of my income to Filipino COVID-19 victims," Pacquiao told Business Mirror.
Conor McGregor fought Dustin Poirier to prepare for a possible fight against Manny Pacquiao
In an exchange of words on Twitter, Dustin Poirier had claimed that Conor McGregor is only fighting him in the lead-up to the Irishman's clash with Pacquiao. The Notorious responded to him by accepting that he wants to hone his boxing skills by challenging a southpaw (Dustin Poirier), before fighting another southpaw in Manny Pacquaio.
Conor McGregor later acknowledged that he fought Poirier with a boxing approach, which proved costly.
The Irishman is apparently aiming to return to the octagon by May of this year. According to his coach John Kavanagh, McGregor wants to fight Poirier for the third time in May with the lightweight championship on the line.