Conor McGregor was in talks to fight Manny Pacquiao inside the boxing ring earlier this year. In fact, many suggested that his rematch against Dustin Poirier was a tune-up fight before facing Pacman. Recently, UFC President Dana White was asked if a fight between McGregor and Pacquiao was actually a possibility.
“Had Conor beat Poirier, I know that they were talking about it. I know that they wanted to do it. You know, obviously there was a lot of things needed to happen for that fight to happen. And they didn’t, so it didn’t. But, I don’t know. I don’t know if that fight would’ve ever happened,” said White.
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Also, White once again implied that he is not a fan of the recent trend of celebrity boxing matches while acknowledging the fact that the chances of seeing Pacquiao doing such things are slim to none.
“I’m not a big fan of exhibitions. It’s a bullsh*t loophole in the system for guys that shouldn’t be fighting to be able to fight,” said White on the topic.
Pacquiao is set to join politics after announcing his retirement. White wished the Filipino legend good luck for his future endeavors outside the sport of boxing.
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Conor McGregor vs Manny Pacquiao would have been blockbuster
McGregor is still a huge draw in any form of combat. And, Pacquiao is a bonafide legend of boxing. ‘The Notorious’ has previously stepped inside the squared ring only once against the consensus greatest boxer of all time, Floyd Mayweather. So, the idea of him fighting ‘Pacman’ was not too far-fetched.
However, his loss to Poirier hampered those chances. It seems like a fight that fans missed the chance to see. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what the future has in store for McGregor and Pacquiao in their respective ventures.
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