Conor McGregor is just “one win” away from getting boxing title shot: Mauricio Sulaiman

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman recently revealed that Conor McGregor will be given a green light to fight for the prestigious boxing title as long as he defeats a top-ranked contender. The UFC megastar, who’s currently in talks to fight the legendary Manny Pacquiao after his bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, made his boxing debut in 2017, losing to Floyd Mayweather in ten rounds. The WBC helped sanction the crossover money-fight, which went on to become the second-biggest PPV in combat sports history, making around $4.3 million in PPV buys.

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Is Conor McGregor eligible for a boxing title shot?

Despite losing his debut bout, Conor McGregor showed interest in making a return to boxing and fight for the world titles. All the Notorious One has to do is claim victory against a top-ranked WBC fighter, and the sanctioning body will give him his desired title shot. Mauricio Sulaiman told SunSport that because of McGregor’s accolades in the UFC, he has earned a chance to fight for the title.

“We have plenty of examples of Muay Thai fighters, who turn professional in international boxing, and they are eligible to fight for the title. We also have amateur superstars like Vasyl, they come into professional boxing and fight for the title," he added.

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The Ukrainian Vasyl Lomachenko left amateur boxing with a record of 396-1 and got his hands on the WBO belt in just his second pro fight. WBC also have a history of legendary Muay Thai fighters like Samart Payakaroon, who entered boxing with a great record in their sport, and went on to become champions. This proves that the Notorious One is also eligible for a boxing title bout as he has an impressive MMA record.

Conor McGregor has lost only four of his 26 fights. All his 22 wins came via knockouts, thanks to his background in boxing. Even though he lost to Mayweather, that doesn’t mean he lacks skills. The former two-division UFC champion won the initial rounds of the bout, even hitting the pound-for-pound juggernaut with some vicious right-and-lefts. Mayweather only took over after McGregor started gassing out, giving the 50-0 fighter the win.

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Image Source: Conor McGregor/ Instagram, AP