It seems as if another marquee boxing matchup is on the way between Philippine legend Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and Irishman Conor “the Notorious” McGregor. While McGregor is known for his MMA-style fighting, it did not stop him from going seven rounds with Floyd Money Mayweather in 2017 before the ref called a TKO.
The Mayweather vs. McGregor fight has since garnished the title “the biggest fight in combat sports history, “and now Conor is looking for round two. While most sports analysts will probably agree that this fight will earn less at the box office, it is almost guaranteed to be the highest-rated fight since McGregor and Mayweather faced off in 2017. After the 2017 spectacle was over, Forbes reported that Mayweather took home $275 million, and McGregor earned $85 million (USD).
Here Is What We Know
Over the weekend, Conor McGregor lashed out at UFC president Dana White and tweeted that his next fight will be against Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao in the Middle East.
Anyway all water under the bridge who gives a fook.
I’m boxing Manny Pacquiao next in the Middle East.— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) September 25, 2020
Manny Pacquiao’s aide, Jayke Joson, confirmed the rumors and said that Pacman will be fighting UFC Superstar Conor McGregor in 2021. He also noted that some of Pacquiao’s earnings from the event would go to COVID-19 relief in the Philippines. Below you will see a mock fight card for the two fighters for comparison.
Betting On The Bout
Online sportsbooks have already produced future betting lines for the event, and most sportsbook sites have Manny favored by a good margin; however, those odds will likely change as the fight is confirmed and the date draws near. Betting on boxing is legal in the Philippines as long as you use a sportsbook based outside of the country.
For Philippine bettors, BetOnline currently has odds for the McGregor/Pacquiao fight. Below you will see the current odds given at the time of this writing.
- Pacquiao, Manny -1200
- McGregor, Conor +700
Based on these odds, the smart bet would be to bet on McGregor, who is favored to lose; however, a $100 bet at +700 would win $700; compared to a $1200 bet on Pacquiao, which would win $100.
Fighting Words
Since Conor’s last win in the UFC, he has gone on to retire from the UFC and was not expected to fight anytime soon; however, it is now known that he was searching for another big payout fight. It is being reported that Conor wants to fight in the UFC again after his fight with Manny. I’m sure he will be looking for his rematch with current UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Pacquiao has been trying for some time now to schedule a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Pacquiao’s last fight against Keith Thurman went for 12 rounds where he was awarded the decision. Manny has made it known that he is on the cusp of retiring but wants to go out with a few big fights, especially a Mayweather rematch if he can get it.
When Is the Manny Pacquiao vs. Conor McGregor Fight?
The papers are not signed, and some details have to be worked out before a time and a place can be reserved. McGregor has hinted that the fight will likely be in the Middle East but has yet to leak any other details. Hit the “like” button at the top of the page if you want to see Pacquiao win one more before retiring into politics.
