Considering Conor McGregor’s last showing in a boxing ring, it’s surprising to see the Irishman linked to a potential battle with legend Manny Pacquiao.
McGregor is 1-1 since returning to MMA after taking a pasting at the hands of Floyd Mayweather in 2017. Let’s face it, the bout wasn’t even competitive.
‘The Notorious’ had minimal pugilistic skills. Remarkable since the coverage McGregor’s humble boxing beginnings at his home gym was given.
Years of competing in an entirely different code seemed to have erased any previous memory of our sport from the Mayweather fight.
Punching Floyd whilst his back was turned. Plus landing several less-than-amateurish combinations left most scratching their heads at ringside.
The fact Mayweather carried McGregor for a few rounds also didn’t help any future rematch demand.
Conor McGregor
Never-the-less, talk has begun to link the two-weight UFC ‘champ-champ’ with a Mayweather return or clash with the ‘Pacman’.
But would we see a different result? – It’s highly unlikely despite McGregor now stating he’s learned so much from being stopped by a fighter without an undebated knockout in a decade.
Mayweather clearly toyed with McGregor for the majority of the fight. Attempting to make himself look a little worried at times – which he clearly wasn’t.
Should McGregor ever land a second bite at Mayweather, there has to be some sort of cross-codes agreement in the styles – or what’s the point?
As for Pacquiao, the Filipino Senator is unarguably in better form than Mayweather was back then. The eight-weight ruler would probably do far more damage to McGregor.
Add to that the fact McGregor wants to have his check secured without fighting anybody else, only for fear of losing to a lesser name.
Forget what McGregor has talked about in the build-up to his win over Donald Cerrone. There’s just no chance in hell he’d fight Paulie Malignaggi or any other boxer before one of the two big boys.
PAY-PER-VIEW
It’s all about the payday. That’s why McGregor is even talking about Pacquiao as an alternative option. Andy why Mayweather remains the first choice. This guarantees the most Pay-Per-View buys.
Pacquiao vs McGregor could do a solid two to three million PPV’s, though. That’s even with the certainly Pacquiao completely embarrasses McGregor for however long he wants to.
Fair play to McGregor for having the balls to come over to straight boxing when most MMA fighters wouldn’t. But he simply doesn’t have the skills required to mix it with ‘May’ or ‘Pac’ at this level.
If either of those bouts does make it over the line, McGregor will land himself the worst top-level boxing record of all-time on 0-2 with two stoppages.
That’s a guarantee.
