Conor McGregor was unable to upset Floyd Mayweather, so maybe he could defeat Manny Pacquiao, another boxer that Mayweather got the better of.
It’s a long shot, but Pacquiao on Friday admitted that there has been an initial inquiry into the UFC lightweight champion becoming his next opponent.
Pacquiao hasn’t fought since losing a surprising decision to Jeff Horn in Brisbane, Australia, in July. His next fight likely won’t take place until around the same time of year in 2018 because of the fact that Pacquiao is a Senator in the Philippines and would wait until the Senate session ends to focus on his fight.
While Pacquiao admitted that his team has reached out to McGregor’s, the fight is simply one of many bandied about for his return to the boxing ring and there are no negotiations at this point.
“Initially,” Pacquiao said, when asked if he had reached out to McGregor’s team. “But we have not yet had any follow-up conversations.”
He’s not simply inserting McGregor’s name into the discussion to get headlines. Pacquiao insisted that, if the interest is there and a deal could be struck, he’d take the fight.
“If we can negotiate it, I have no problem. It is okay with both of us.”
Of course, that’s a long way from the fight actually coming together, but that’s where the Mayweather vs. McGregor bout was at one time as well. Just months before it happened, Mayweather vs. McGregor was considered a pipe dream, but when it came together, it came together fast.
A more likely scenario would be a Pacquiao rematch with Horn, but there are numerous scenarios that could play out before a decision is made.
