Once multi-weight world champion Canelo Alvarez handles some business inside the boxing ring this weekend, he’s more than happy to throw hands with Irish megastar Conor McGregor.
On September 14, Alvarez is scheduled to defend his WBA, WBC, and WBO super middleweight titles against Edgar Berlanga at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It will be Alvarez’s second fight of 2024 after scoring a unanimous decision victory over Jaime Munguía in May.
Speaking with combat sports journalist Manouk Akopyan ahead of Saturday’s scrap in ‘Sin City,’ Alvarez revealed that he would be open to a clash with McGregor, calling a potential fight with the former two-division UFC champ an “easy money” affair.
“Why not? We show boxing is better [than MMA]. Way easy money,” Alvarez said. “[I knock him out] at the time I want. One round, two rounds, three rounds, whatever I want.”
Canelo Alvarez says he's open to fighting Conor McGregor in 2025 👀
"Why not? We show boxing is better [than MMA]. Way easy money. [I knock him out] at the time I want. One round, two rounds, three rounds, whatever I want."
🎥 @ManoukAkopyan #UFC #MMA #Boxing pic.twitter.com/4W78V4WUqd
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 11, 2024
A Fight with Canelo Alvarez Wouldn’t Be McGregor’s First Foray into Pro Boxing
A hypothetical clash with Alvarez wouldn’t be the first time McGregor has tested himself in the sweet science. In August 2017, ‘Mystic Mac’ vacated both his UFC featherweight and lightweight titles in favor of a big-money matchup with Floyd Mayweather.
Despite his best efforts, McGregor went down 65 seconds into the 10th round, handing ‘Money’ his 50th career win. It was the last professional boxing bout of Mayweather’s illustrious career and the last time we’ve seen McGregor in eight-ounce gloves—so far.
With two fights left on his UFC contract, McGregor has repeatedly teased a move to boxing—traditional or bare-knuckle—once he settles some business with Dana White and Co.
When and where that happens is anyone’s guess.
McGregor was originally scheduled to return on June 29th to headline UFC 303 in Vegas, but a broken pinky toe prompted his exit from the card. Thus far, the promotion has not announced a replacement date for his long-awaited bout with former Bellator champion Michael Chandler, though both fighters have verbally agreed to a December date—presumably when the UFC closes out its pay-per-view calendar.
McGregor’s last appearance inside the Octagon came in July 2021 when he suffered a first-round TKO against Dustin Poirier, which you can rewatch below:
