A popular topic going around the web has to do with UFC star Conor McGregor saying he would like to rematch Floyd Mayweather Jr. and fight Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao and Paulie Malignaggi in boxing matches.
McGregor is getting ready to fight Cowboy Cerrone at UFC 246 in Las Vegas, but the Irish fighter still has his mind set on boxing and winning a world title in the sport.
If you look up the names he called out, all of them are past their prime over 40 or close to it, and they each present Conor some type of incentive.
With a Mayweather rematch he will earn him another huge payday, same thing with Pacquiao but on a smaller scale, and with Malignaggi, he can settle a grudge with a guy who hates his guts. The Malignaggi fight is winnable for McGregor because they already sparred him when preparing for Mayweather and Conor will gain confidence seeing the former boxing champion lose on points to his friend Artem Lobov in bare knuckle boxing.
Mayweather likely beats McGregor but he has to be careful because Conor, who put up a much better fight than Manny Pacquiao or Canelo Alvarez, said he is ready for all styles Floyd brings to the ring.
The other possible foe for McGregor is Manny Pacquiao. Pac fans will automatically say Pacquiao knocks out McGregor but that is not the case in my opinion. Pacquiao hasn’t knocked anyone out cold since he fought Ricky Hatton over ten years ago and that was at 140 lbs not 147.
If there is a knockout it’s likely going to be McGregor knocking out Pacquiao. The size of McGregor and power will be too much for the 5 foot 5 inch tall Filipino.
McGregor learned a lot from his pro boxing debut against the greatest boxer of our era Floyd Mayweather Jr., he learned that preparation is key and that he must ready himself for different looks from aggressive to defensive.
All McGregor has to do is study Juan Manuel Marquez and Jeff Horn. The time Pacquao got put to sleep, it was him reaching in with his short arms and falling into a well placed right hand down the pipe. Jeff Horn used his grappling ability and size to manhandle the tiny Pacquiao and beat him on points.
McGregor has those long arms and power in his straight left hand and with his MMA background he would tire Pacquiao out in the clinch just like Horn did. He is also a natural counter puncher, he knocked Jose Aldo cold similar to how Marquez knocked Pacquiao out rushing in.
The fight would be two southpaws going at it and Pacquiao doesn’t have much experience with southpaws. He is currently avoiding the two best southpaws in boxing Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford because he knows stylistically it will confuse him and make it difficult for him to land punches on them.
If Pacquiao’s people really reached out to McGregor for a fight, it could be a big mistake.
Manny Pacquiao is not Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather could carry McGregor because he has the chin to take a shot and Pacquiao was put to sleep by Marquez.
If Pacquiao and his team think McGregor is an easy payday because of how Mayweather handled him in the ring, they will have another thing coming.
Pacquiao beat Thurman but looked older and slower and was getting hit a lot. The Thurman fight definitely took its toll on Pacquiao’s 40-year-old body.
The main issue of concern is the weight. Knowing Freddie Roach’s history, he will likely demand McGregor fight PacMan at 147 pounds so he can be weight drained on fight night.
If they drain McGregor then he has no shot against Pacquiao, but if they fight him at 154 pounds like Mayweather did then McGregor has a good shot to win.
