UFC superstar Conor McGregor appears to have revealed an important stipulation for an unexpected superfight boxing match against Manny Pacquiao. The two fighters have been linked to each other in the past but appear now to actually be negotiating for a blockbuster boxing battle via social media.
After Pacquiao curiously wished McGregor “Happy Birthday” a day after the fighter turned 32 years old, McGregor responded with what looks like his desired catchweight for the potential superfight, 170 pounds.
Conor McGregor Just Competed at 170
McGregor defeated Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 246 in January in a 170-pound MMA contest.
It was only the third fight for McGregor in the UFC’s welterweight division, but he had been linked to UFC welterweights such as Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal as potential next opponents before his sudden retirement last month.
Moreover, McGregor seems to have bulked up over the last few months to the point that even he started to wonder on social media what his weight class might be going forward.
McGregor captured UFC gold in the UFC’s 145-pound featherweight division and its 155-pound weight class.
Manny Pacquiao’s Weight Class is 147 Pounds
Pacquiao, 41, competes in boxing’s welterweight division, which has a limit of 147 pounds.
But Pacquiao is the only professional fighter in boxing history to have won world titles in eight different weight classes. Pacquiao won world title belts in boxing from the 112-pound flyweight division to the 154-pound junior middleweight class over his career.
Recently, Pacquiao’s team teased a move to middleweight to face IBF middleweight champion Gennadiy Golovkin. Boxing’s middleweight division has a limit of 160 pounds.
Now it appears the WBA’s current 147-pound champion is being asked by McGregor to jump up to 170 pounds.
A fight between McGregor and Pacquiao at 170 would be labeled a light heavyweight scrap in boxing.
Does Conor McGregor vs. Manny Pacquiao Make Sense?
McGregor is 0-1 as a professional boxer. The Irishman lost via 10th-round stoppage to Floyd Mayeather Jr. in August 2017.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao is one of the most accomplished fighters in boxing history.
But both fighters are elite sports celebrities. Moreover, McGregor proved against Mayweather three years ago that he could hold is own inside a boxing ring even against the world’s best.
Besides McGregor has seemed interested in continuing his boxing career. Judging by his social media posts, that interest only seems to have grown after the 32-year-old retired last month.
With Mayweather busy negotiating for some kind of exhibition bout with RIZIN in Japan, Pacquiao would make the next best option for McGregor.
And who knows? With such a significant size advantage against Pacquiao at 170 and what would be a nine-year age advantage, maybe McGregor could shock the world.
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Conor McGregor’s Huge Demand to Manny Pacquiao