Manny Pacquiao will look forward to sharpening his rusty sparring skills in the ring.
Eight-time division world champion Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao discussed the possible bout against MMA fighter Connor McGregor. The WBA Welterweight titlist has Errol Spence, and Terrence Crawford queued on his fighting list, but he said that Spence is "too slow," so he preferred McGregor instead.
Pacquiao vs. McGregor
According to Boxing Scene, Pacquiao had a hunch that fighting WBC and IBF Champion Errol Spence will be an easy win for him. Pacquiao said that Spence was slower than Keith Thurman, who previously fought him and lost via a split decision verdict.
Pacquiao beat Thurman on July 20, 2019, where the MGM Grand witnessed how the Filipino boxer finished the American with a 1-2-1 combination.
The 42-year-old Pacquiao, who is also a senator in the Philippines, landed two straight right jabs to Thurman's face, then released a left-handed flush to the body. Afterward, he delivered coup de grace through a vicious right hook that sent Thurman to the canvass in the first round.
Pacman's win over Thurman was his last victory since then, and he has been finding another opportunity to fight against a new boxer before he reaches the dawn of his career. He could have returned to the boxing ring last year against Terence Crawford and Mikey Garcia if the COVID-19 pandemic had not happened, the Mirror reported.
Pacquiao is hungry for another title, and he thought he could land a big-time promotion if McGregor agreed to the fight.
"They're [Spence and Crawford] my options, but right now I want to experience fighting an MMA [mixed martial artist]," Pacquiao said, referring to McGregor.
The southpaw boxer added that he would donate a big part of his income in the upcoming fight to his Filipino countrymen who became victims of COVID-19.
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McGregor, the 32-year-old Irishman, will meet his former nemesis, Dustin Poirier, on January 23, in the octagon for the UFC 257 main event. Facing Poirier will be McGregor's second fight since he lost to Floyd Mayweather in "The Money Fight" in 2017. He has yet to win another chip under his name when he succumbed to Khabin Nurmagomedov in his 2018 return in UFC 229.
According to SB Nation-Bad Left Hook, the possible Pacquiao vs. McGregor bout will not be as intense as the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight, but it would still be a big match for the promotion.
Pacquiao's retirement might be near, but the boxing champ said that he won't quit yet from boxing. The Freddie Roach-tenured boxer would continue squaring off the four corners of the ring twice this year.
Currently, Pacquiao has a 62-7-2 win-loss-draw record as a professional boxer since 1995. Out of 62 wins, he recorded 39 knockout victories and 23 decision triumphs.
His first loss was from his fellow countryman Rustico Torrecampo in February 1996, followed by a second loss from Thai boxer Medgoen Singsurat in 1999.
His seventh and last loss was from Australian boxer Jeff Horn via a unanimous decision in 2017. The controversial fight took the social media in a hot tub, where many believed that Manny should have been the winner as the final bell rang.
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