Manny Pacquiao not interested in Conor McGregor bout after Dustin Poirier embarrassment

Manny Pacquiao’s promoter thinks that the legendary boxer has moved on from a crossover bout against UFC megastar Conor McGregor as the demand for such a match is no longer there. Heading into UFC 257, McGregor was likely to fight Manny Pacquiao in a mega-crossover bout in late 2021. The two even reportedly had a verbal agreement, but after McGregor suffered a KO loss to Dustin Poirier, those plans now appear to be scrapped.

Manny Pacquiao vs Conor McGregor no longer in the books?

While talking to The Sun (via DailyMail), Sean Gibbons, president of Manny Pacquiao promotions, claimed that the mega-fight won’t happen in the near future as The Notorious One still has some unfinished business in the UFC. According to reports, the Pacquiao bout could only happen if Conor McGregor defeats Dustin Poirier in their third matchup or stops another top fighter in his next outings.

“Very unfortunate, it looked like Conor looked past Dustin and got knocked out. Maybe he had the Senator (Pacquiao) on his mind. I think the demand for the fight is not there presently,” Gibbons added.

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Manny Pacquiao, who is the only eight-division world champion in boxing's history, is now rumoured to fight lightweight star, Ryan Garcia. Earlier, The Athletic's Mike Coppinger reported that the team of both the fighters had "preliminary discussions" for the highly-anticipated about. Not just that, a few days later, Garcia shared a fan-made poster for the bout on his Instagram page, writing, “A dream turned reality It’s an honor to share the ring with Manny Pacquiao. I will always respect what you did in and out the ring. Here’s to the best Man Winning”.

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Manny Pacquiao vs Conor McGregor was “inevitable” at one point

Just a few weeks before UFC 257, Conor McGregor’s manager Audie Attar had stated that a super fight between Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor is bound to happen this year as “both fighters want it”. However, after the conclusion of UFC 257, plans have changed. While Manny Pacquiao is looking for another opponent, while McGregor has shown interest in fighting Poirier again. The two are currently tied 1-1 as The Notorious One had defeated Poirier in their first outing.

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Image Source: AP