Conor McGregor's next fight confirmed? UFC star could face Manny Pacquiao in Middle East

Retired UFC star Conor McGregor is apparently not done with fighting after all. The Notorious took social media by storm when he shared a series of tweets, revealing screenshots of discussions he had about future fights. In one of those tweets, the 32-year-old even revealed he set to enter the boxing ring for the second time in his professional career, this time to face former world champion, Manny Pacquiao. McGregor even revealed the location of his next fight - the Middle East. 

McGregor vs Pacquiao to be the next big super fight?

Conor McGregor's agent Audie Attar confirmed that both parties are negotiating a fight between McGregor and Pacquiao, which could take place late this year or early 2021. Attar, who also represents Pacquiao, told ESPN on Friday that negotiations have reached the advanced stages, but is yet to be finalised. Speaking of location for the fight, Attar revealed the Middle East is one of a few locations being discussed to host the super fight. The UFC bosses are believed to be on board with the idea of another crossover fight for the Irish MMA star. 

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McGregor's first crossover fight came in 2017 when he faced Floyd 'Money' Mayweather in Las Vegas. Mayweather extended his boxing streak to 50-0 by with a technical knockout win (TKO) over The Notorious. McGregor then returned to UFC, failing to win back the Lightweight championship from Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018.

The 32-year-old last fought Donald Cerrone earlier this year, scoring a TKO win inside 40 seconds. He then went on to announce his retirement from UFC, which is also his third such announcement in the last four years. 

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As for Manny Pacquiao, the 41-year-old is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers. He is currently serving his six-year term as the Senator of the Phillippines, a post for which he was elected in 2016. Dubbed as 'Pac-Man,' Pacquiao holds a professional boxing record of 62 wins, seven losses and two draws.

He last stepped inside the ring in 2019, where he defeated Keith Thurman by split decision to win the WBA (Super) welterweight title. Pacquiao faced Floyd Mayweather back in 2015. The match was billed as the Fight of the Century and was won by Mayweather by unanimous decision. 

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Conor McGregor also revealed he was willing to fight UFC star Tony Ferguson in May. He was, however, forced to pull out of the fight as he was not remotely interested "in being an alternate." McGregor even revealed he wanted to face Diego Sanchez in February, for which he even held a discussion with UFC President Dana White.

Also Read | Conor McGregor Called Out By Diego Sanchez As UFC Star Wants To Retire Against Notorious

(Image Credits: Conor McGregor, Manny Pacquiao Instagram)