MCGREGOR WANTS TO FIGHT PACQUIAO AND MAYWEATHER
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 15 Jan 2020
Conor McGregor has a scheduled MMA fight against Cowboy Donald Cerrone on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. But McGregor is already announcing his options for his next opponents which includes a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and negotiations with boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao.
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“I would be open to other boxing bouts. You know, Manny (Pacquiao). We’re actually close to signing Manny,” McGregor told Ariel Helwani in his ESPN MMA show on YouTube on Monday. He said that there were talks regarding the fight with Senator Pacquiao. "There’s been an offer made on (a bout against Pacquiao). There’s just negotiations going on."
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The former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion clarified he wants to box multiple times. “I want to box again. I will box again. I will get a boxing world title.” He likes to have a rematch with Mayweather Jr. " I’d like to rematch Floyd,” McGregor reiterated. “I think we should rematch Floyd. He’s flirting with [a comeback] and doing all this, he can go and pick someone else, it’s not going to be the same.”
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Before 14,623 spectators, not a a sell-out though, Mayweather won by TKO in the 10th round on August 26, 2017 at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada. At the time of stoppage, the scorecards were 87–83, 89–82, and 89–81 all in favor of Mayweather.
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The bout was fought at super welterweight (154 pounds) division with 8 oz. gloves. Showtime announced that the fight recorded the second highest pay-per-view buys at 4.3 million. Mayweather-Pacquiao still tops with 4.6 million buys and over $410 million in revenue.
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Dana White praised McGregor for connecting 111 punches of 430 thrown for 26% accuracy on Mayweather, which was more than what Pacquiao landed in his fight against Mayweather, called The Fight of the Century, and more than any of Mayweather's previous nine opponents. Mayweather was more accurate though, landing 170 of 320 punches thrown for 53% accuracy.
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McGregor said he had "done phenomenal in that bout" with Mayweather but he lost that bout because he prepared for a back-footed, Philly-shell style of opponent. “Then, he came forward and started pressing, and I wasn’t sinking into my shots like I am now with my boxing coaches that are drilling specific boxing things into me again," McGregor said. “I know I’d beat Floyd. I’d beat Floyd if we rematched - when we rematch."
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After the McGregor fight, Mayweather was quoted by BBC Sports: "This was my last fight. Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, for sure I chose the right dance partner to dance with. Conor McGregor, you are a hell of a champion."
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The undefeated American world champion added: "He's a tough competitor and I think we gave the fans what they wanted to see. I owed them for the Pacquiao fight. I must come straight ahead and give the fans a show, and that's what I gave them." McGregor told reporters the fight was stopped too early, but respected the decision and conceded that he was tired.
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The Dublin, Ireland native is the biggest pay-per-view (PPV) draw in MMA history, having starred in five out of the six highest-selling UFC pay-per-view events. His fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 earned 2.4 million PPV buys, the highest ever for an MMA event.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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