UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor has been linked to multiple opponents in recent months. Although he is yet to defend the 155-pound belt in the UFC, McGregor has again been rumored for a boxing match next year…
During the past 12 months, we’ve seen a very different side to Conor McGregor. After defeating Eddie Alvarez for the UFC lightweight title in late 2016, ‘The Notorious’ would take some time off.
Once his child was born, the Irishman was back in full swing, but not in the UFC octagon. As tensions flared among the top 155-pound contenders, McGregor scored the biggest money fight in combat sports history.
Floyd Mayweather, arguably the greatest defensive boxer of our generation, would welcome McGregor to the boxing world. Was it a shambles? Essentially, yes, but a whopping 4.6 million North American buyers coughed up for the pay-per-view.
Now the circus has left town, is it back to the UFC octagon for Conor McGregor?
McGregor vs. Pacquiao?
Earlier this month, eight-weight world champion and fighting legend Manny Pacquiao made some interesting comments. ‘Pac Man’ claimed his team had reached out to McGregor in hopes of a 2018 boxing match.
According to UFC president Dana White, Pacquiao and his team could face legal action if this were indeed true:
Dana White, on Manny Pacquiao allegedly reaching out to Conor McGregor … "That would be weird, because he's under contract with us. If that's true, I'll be suing Manny Pacquiao and whoever's representing him."
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) December 10, 2017
McGregor Also Responds
According to McGregor, as per TMZ Sports, a boxing match with Pacquiao is not on the cards.
But McGregor shot that down real fast — insulting the sweet science in the process … saying, “I think a true fight is what I want to do next.”
He added, “MMA next. F–k WWE,”
The MMA world breathes a sigh of relief. It’s been some time now that McGregor has been out of the UFC octagon. With Tony Ferguson the current interim boss, and a trilogy with Nate Diaz down the line, it’s hardly like there aren’t fights waiting for McGregor.
Roach Potshots at McGregor
Pacquiao’s coach, Freddie Roach, did not have much good to say about McGregor during a recent interview:
“Well Manny always told he doesn’t like that sport because it’s more like a street fight,” he told reporters. But it’s a very winnable fight and there’s a lot of money in that fight. It’s kind of like ripping off the world, it wouldn’t be a fair fight. Unless Manny fought by their rules too, that would be a fair fight.
“But if you’re going to do boxing rules, the boxer is going to win 99-and-a-half percent of the time. And I don’t think it’s much of a fight. I’m not a big fan of his. He’s not that great a boxer, in my mind. And I think we all saw that.”
Thank the MMA gods, McGregor is likely back in the octagon for his next fight!
