MMA pioneer Bob Sapp is looking for an unusual type of fight.
Sapp, the man known for fighting in Pride, Rizin, and K-1 is setting his sights on a boxer. Sapp has called out multiple-time boxing champion Manny Pacquiao for an exhibition bout. The clash of polar opposites has intrigued fans, but could it really happen?
Pacquiao retired from boxing back in September of last year but is now ready to come back to the sport, in a way. Pacquiao has signed onto an exhibition bout against YouTuber DK Yoo that will be taking place in December. The idea of retired fighters going on to face social media personalities has grown immensely in recent years. Boxing great Floyd Mayweather has done a few exhibition bouts in past years, and the appearance of Jake Paul who has been fighting former UFC fighters, has grown the interest in these “novelty” fights.
The appeal to these former fighters such as Pacquiao is that they can earn a great deal of money and not be in a position to “lose.” The challenge in Yoo however is quite different than taking on a man like Sapp. Yoo is a “YouTube martial artist” who shows his “Warfare Combat System” to the public. Now Sapp on the other hand is a former MMA fighter and kickboxer with over 60 professional fights under his belt.
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Sapp is 6 foot 5 inches and has fought in the super heavyweight division. Pacquiao is 5 foot 5inches and probably walks around at 160 pounds. This mismatch has not stopped Sapp from wanting next. He called out Pacquiao in a recent video.
“Manny accept this fight. I’ll treat you like a mosquito,” Sapp said h/t World Boxing News. “I’m in shape too because Manny, I understand, he’s buzzing around [all the time in the ring]. He may have a shot at me just like keeping a gun right here and shooting at me. But I’m a tank; it’s just going to bounce off.”
Pacquiao has yet to respond to this call out by Sapp, and it seems unlikely that he will at all. Pacquiao is not the only retired fighter Sapp has his sights set on, he has also been calling for a fight with Mike Tyson.
