By: Sean Crose
It’s being widely reported that Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao will indeed return to the ring to face UFC star Conor McGregor within the next few months. CNN, ESPN, Sports Illustrated and other news outlets are indicating that Pacquiao-McGregor is definitely a go (though nothing as of press time has been officially signed). It’s also being reported that some of Pacquiao’s earnings for the fight will go to battle the Covid-19 pandemic in his homeland.
Although rumors of a ring match between the two legendary figures have been making the rounds for what appears to be forever, McGregor stunned a lot of people yesterday when he came right out on social media and stated he would be facing Pacquiao in a boxing match in the middle east.
This latest news is no doubt welcome to fans of both fighters, as each man’s heyday in his respective sport may be over. Aside from the fact that neither fighter has plied his trade since 2019, Pacquiao is now well over 40 years of age and McGregor has lost two of this last three fights, one in a boxing ring against Floyd Mayweather and one in the UFC Octagon against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
It appears another high profile novelty bout will be making its mark on boxing.