Manny Pacquiao Breaks His Silence About the Proposed Fight Against Conor McGregor

Manny Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) is ending his four-year retirement with a WBC welterweight title showdown against Mario Barrios (29-2-1, 18 KOs) in Las Vegas on Saturday night. While he announced his retirement in 2021, there was one fight that combat sports aficionados wanted to see: his proposed super fight against UFC superstar Conor McGregor. With his return right around the corner, Pacquiao opened up about the current status of the fight.

Pacquiao was a guest on the latest episode of the Ariel Helwani show. In conversation, he was asked about how close the proposed super fight was to fruition.

“Almost, make that happen that fight. But the thing is that, like I said, there is so many problems about his manager,” he said.

The proposed fight would have marked McGregor’s return to the boxing ring after his loss to Floyd Mayweather in 2017. However, what followed was a host of lawsuits and legal nightmares.

In 2023, Paradigm Sports Management, a promoter affiliated with McGregor, sued Pacquiao, alleging that he had breached an exclusive contract with them in 2021. Pacquiao was further ordered by the judge to pay $5.1 million to the promoter, stating that $3.3 million would be for a breach of contract and $1.8 million for breach of an “implied covenant of good faith”.

In 2024, the ruling was overturned in Pacquiao’s favour. However, this wasn’t before Pacquiao himself admitted that it had a major impact on him, distracting him from his training camp and prompting him to change his priorities in opponents.

When asked if the case was settled, Pacquiao revealed that it was “almost finished”. This prompted Helwani to press him on whether he’d still be interested in facing McGregor.

“I don’t know right now.  And I cannot comment about it because the case is not yet finished,” he said.

“I’m Ready To Get Backlash”

Meanwhile, his upcoming opponent, Barrios, is not in any mood to make Pacquiao’s return a walk in the park. In fact, he is ready to face any repercussions that may arise from potentially sending him back into retirement.

“I’m ready to get backlash if I retire him; it comes with it. Any fighter in my division would be more than happy to take this fight as well,” he said while talking to The Ring. “It’s just my job to go in there and do what I do best.”

Joshua Ben Joseph

Joshua Ben Joseph is a Boxing writer renowned for his unparalleled coverage of live events and insightful interviews with prominent athletes in the world of combat sports. With a career spanning over several years, he has authored more than 800 articles. As an experienced editorial cartoonist and investigative journalist, Joshua has a keen eye for detail and a passion for delivering quality content. Aside from his writing, Joshua is an avid powerlifter and solo traveler, embodying the same spirit of determination and exploration that he brings to his work. With a deep love for the sport of boxing that dates back to childhood, he is committed to delivering the highest quality content and helping to build a more transparent and credible industry.

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