It looks like the chances of a Manny Pacquiao vs. Conor McGregor fight are much higher than initially thought.
Talks of McGregor boxing Pacquaio have heated up in recent weeks with the latter recently claiming he would like to fight the Irishman.
UFC president Dana White prefers for McGregor to compete in the UFC, but he didn’t exactly rule out the possibility either even if he believed boxing matches were always going to be there for McGregor.
And as far as McGregor is concerned, the fight could very well happen later this year as talks are intensifying.
“I know the talks are intensifying for this year,” McGregor told The Mac Life. “So, I am excited for a Manny Pacquiao bout, and it’s looking like it will take place this year. What time this year, I’m not sure.
“We’re going to have to have some good discussions with Dana and with the guys and the UFC after [the Poirier fight] and see where it goes, what’s there, what do we want? I am open to it all. I am ready for it all. I appreciate them comments by [WBC president Mauricio] Sulaiman and I will certainly attain a boxing world title before I call it a day and I’d be very excited to do that against Emmanuel Pacquiao.”
McGregor First Has To Get Past Poirier
Of course, McGregor first needs to get past Dustin Poirier who he faces in a lightweight bout in the UFC 257 headliner on January 23.
But as of now, it looks very likely that his next bout will be in the boxing world in what would be his first boxing match since his professional debut against Floyd Mayweather back in August 2017.
Pacquiao, meanwhile, hasn’t competed since July 2019 when he outpointed Keith Thurman to win the WBA (Super) welterweight title. The 42-year-old is expected to compete only a couple more times before calling it a day and focusing on his political career in his native Philippines.
