Conor McGregor in serious talks to fight boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, says manager
Controversial UFC star Conor McGregor is in serious negotiations to fight boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, his manager told ESPN.
The Irish cage fighter took to Twitter on Saturday morning and said he is "boxing Manny Pacquiao next in the Middle East."
McGregor's manager, Audie Attar, represents both fighters and claims a McGregor-Pacquiao boxing bout would take place in late December or early January with the Middle East a possible location for the fight, he confirmed.
Conor McGregor has fought in the UFC twice in the last four years. Getty
The agent also said fighting Pacquiao in a boxing match was one of the topics discussed with UFC bosses in a recent meeting, and the MMA promotion is said to be on board.
The UFC co-promoted McGregor's boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017 in partnership with Mayweather Promotions, Showtime and McGregor Sports & Entertainment. That fight ended up being one of the highest-grossing combat sports events of all time, grossing $600 million in revenue.
Attar said he was confident the fight would take place in the coming months but the weight class for the fight hasn't been determined yet.
Pacquiao and Mayweather have fought a lot of the same fighters. AAP
McGregor would return to the UFC in 2021 after the bout with Pacquiao, he added.
McGregor announced his retirement on Twitter in June but still stayed in the USADA testing pool.
If the Irishman does end up taking on Pacquiao, he would be the sixth common opponent between Floyd Mayweather and the Filipino star, joining Juan Manuel Marquez, Miguel Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Shane Mosley.
McGregor has only fought in the UFC twice in the past four years, a submission loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018, and a KO victory over Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone in January.
