Manny Pacquiao on Conor McGregor’s UFC 257 defeat: “He Underestimated Dustin Poirier”

Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao thinks that Conor McGregor “underestimated” Dustin Poirier going into their rematch at UFC 257. Despite entering as a huge betting favourite, The Notorious One lost via a second-round KO — his first ever KO loss in the sport (fourth in general). The two fighters first collided in a featherweight bout at UFC 178 in September 2014, where The Irishman came out on top via a first-round knockout.

Manny Pacquiao on McGregor vs Poirier 2

It’s because Conor McGregor won the first matchup, Manny Pacquiao thinks The Notorious One took The Diamond lightly. “McGregor had already beaten his rival before and I think that made him underestimate him,” Pacquiao told ABS-CBN News (via BJPenn.com). Despite this, Manny Pacquiao said that ‘losing is part of the game,’ adding that “it is not about defeat, but about how you accept defeat in your life. How you get over that difficult time in your life”.

Also Read l McGregor vs Poirier 2 will be for LW title, claims texts sent from UFC Twitter

It’s great advice from the boxing legend, who has suffered some notable losses in his career. One of his biggest upsets came in 2012 when he lost to rival Juan Manuel Marquez in their fourth fight. However, Manny Pacquiao also knows a thing or two about bouncing back, as he went on to defeat Brandon Ríos, Timothy Bradley and Chris Algieri, respectively. Since 2012, the Pac Man has lost only two fights, even getting his hands on the WBA (Super) Welterweight Title.

Also Read l Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier’s wife had heartwarming interaction after UFC 257: Watch

Manny Pacquiao vs Conor McGregor not happening?

Not only did the Dustin Poirier loss pushed Conor McGregor back to the sixth spot of the UFC lightweight rankings, but it also caused him a potential boxing superfight with Pacquiao. According to reports, Manny Pacquiao vs Conor McGregor was almost a done deal, with both the fighters verbally agreeing to fight later in 2021. However, after UFC 257, Manny Pacquiao and team scrapped the McGregor bout plans and started talking to rising boxing star Ryan Garcia. Though Pacquiao vs Garcia is yet to be made official, Garcia has been teasing the superfight for the past few weeks on social media.

 “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,” Sean Gibbons, president of Manny Pacquiao promotions, told the Sun.

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

Also Read l Justin Gaethje promises to “Never Fight In UFC Again” if Conor McGregor gets title shot

Image Source: AP