Former welterweight champion predicts Manny Pacquiao vs. Conor McGregor
McGregor
Former welterweight champion Timothy Bradley believes a crossover showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor could be on the cards next.
After rolling back the years in 2019 with victories over Adrien Broner and Keith Thurman, the ‘Pacman’ is currently resuming duties as senator in the Philippines.
A number of names have been mentioned alongside Pacquiao for his next bout, including unified champion Errol Spence Jr, Terence Crawford, four-division king Mikey Garcia and Shawn Porter.
The latest to be linked to the eight-weight ruler is MMA’s McGregor. Bradley knows a thing or two of what it’s like being in the ring with Pacquiao.
The pair shared 36 rounds together with Bradley - under Teddy Atlas - winning a highly-disputed bout in 2012 to win the WBO strap.
Speaking about the likelihood of Pacquiao-McGregor after the former inked a deal with the same management company as the ‘Notorious’, Bradley believes it’s a fight which would make sense.
“It could happen. Manny Pacquiao is still a good, great name in boxing. Conor McGregor is a huge name in MMA. Yeah it can happen,” Bradley said.
“Pacquiao, if you’re gonna fight somebody, fight Shawn Porter. Because that’s a collision. That’s a fight. You know Shawn Porter ain’t running. So he (Pacquiao) ain’t gonna look for him. He’s gonna be right there in his grill and it’s gonna be a war,” Bradley said.
MayPac2
There is still some hope for Pacquiao to meet Floyd Mayweather in a rematch from their 2015 ‘Fight of the Century’ fight.
It proved to be a disappointing spectacle although it smashed every record imaginable.
A second bout between the pair could still draw in over two million PPV buys in America, which may interest Mayweather who revealed he’ll come back for the right price.
‘Money’ has flirted with a possible 2020 comeback after announcing he had teamed up with UFC boss Dana White for something big. It seems like Mayweather is more interested in a rematch with McGregor and a bout with UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov rather than Pacquiao though. If it can be made then it’ll come at a hefty price.
"Like we (Mayweather and White) talked about on social media, there’s two names right now,” he said during his UK tour.
“We talked about the Conor McGregor fight, we talked about the Khabib fight.
“For myself, the number is $600million (£464million). If I’m going to go out there and risk it, it’d have to be worth it.
“That was a business move," when asked on why he fought McGregor.
“In the boxing world as of right now, it doesn’t make sense for me to fight any ordinary fighter.
The 'Money Fight'
“I’m a businessman. The Conor McGregor fight made sense. If it makes money, it makes sense.
“I don’t fight fighters or compete against competitors that only have cities behind them.
“If I’m going to fight you, you have to have a whole country behind you.
“The first fight was entertaining. It’s an entertainment business,” he added.
