Manny Pacquiao has reached out to Conor McGregor for a potential boxing match in April 2018. Pacquiao has not fought since July when he was upset by welterweight Jeff Horn.
McGregor is one of several opponents Pacquiao is considering but it is the biggest name and probably the biggest payday.
Pacquiao was scheduled for a rematch with Horn in November of this year but the fight was called off after the Filipino fighter’s duty’s as a politician conflicted with the anticipated fight date. Horn is scheduled to fight Gary Corcoran on December 13th in Brisbane to defend his WBO World Welterweight title which he won from Pacquiao.
McGregor was stopped in a boxing match against Floyd Mayweather this past August. It was the biggest PPV of all time for combat stops and commanded one of the richest paydays for both Mayweather and McGregor.
Although Pacquiao has reached out, there are no details or formal discussions of an actual fight being set up.
Payout Perspective:
It’s ironic to say that this fight may be a “money grab” for Pacquiao. The former number 1 boxer in the world is on the downside of his career and may be looking for a couple big paydays before he retires. For McGregor, he is seeking more money from wherever it may come: boxing or MMA. A matchup with Pacquiao might give him a fight in Croke Park. Pacquiao traveled to Australia to fight Horn in front of his home fans and it would make sense that if both parties wanted to fight, McGregor would have more leverage in these negotiations based on the money he was able to draw versus Mayweather.
In all honesty, it’s sad to see Pacquiao hanging on for paydays like this. But from a business perspective, it would bring the most money for the fighter at this point in his career.
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