Conor McGregor vs Manny Pacquiao off the table as Ryan Garcia announces he's fighting the Filipino boxing legend next
It seems that Manny Pacquiao has moved on from the idea of a potential fight against Conor McGregor.
Undefeated boxer Ryan Garcia has announced that he is fighting the legendary boxer up next. The announcement comes just one day after Conor McGregor's knockout loss against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257.
Ahead of the fight against Poirier, the Irishman confirmed that he is in talks with Pacquiao and his team for a potential boxing match.
Taking to Instagram, Garcia hinted that he's fighting Pacquiao by sharing a poster for the potential fight and claimed that his dreams have turned into reality
"A dream turned reality. It's an honor to share the Ring with @mannypacquiao I will always respect what you did in and out the ring. Here's to the best Man Winning."
Conor McGregor and Manny Pacquiao planned to fight later this year
In 2020, when McGregor proposed to fight Poirier for charity, the Louisiana native claimed that Conor wants to fight him because he is going to box Manny Pacquiao in 2021.
The Irishman later explained the callout by stating that both Poirier and Pacquiao are southpaws, and The Diamond is known for his striking prowess. It would therefore be ideal preparation for boxing the Pacman for McGregor.
However, it seems like that fight isn't happening anytime soon, following McGregor's shocking knockout loss at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi last night. Ahead of the UFC 257 main event, Pacquiao took to Twitter and hinted at a potential fight against McGregor.
In September last year, Pacquiao's close aide, Jayke Joson, had stated that the legendary boxer was likely to box Conor McGregor in 2021.
"For the sake of all the Filipino Covid-19 victims, Senator Manny Pacquiao will be fighting UFC superstar Conor McGregor next year. A huge portion of his earnings will proceed to those who are affected nationwide by the pandemic."
McGregor and Pacquiao's fight would have attracted a lot of eyeballs if the Irishman had managed to get past Dustin Poirier at UFC 257. However, Conor McGregor succumbed to a disappointing defeat instead. It was also the first time that McGregor got knocked out in his career.