Getty Conor McGregor
Which superstar boxer should Conor McGregor fight?
McGregor, 31, from Dublin, looked great on Saturday night in Las Vegas in the Irishman’s 40-second destruction of Donald Cerrone at UFC 246. It was McGregor’s first win since three years ago when he defeated Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 to make history by becoming the UFC’s first double champion.
McGregor made history again over the weekend at T-mobile Arena. In demolishing Cerrone so fast, McGregor became the first UFC fighter ever to win by knockout across the UFC’s featherweight, lightweight and welterweight divisions.
It was an amazing performance.
But just as he did after defeating Alvarez back in 2016, McGregor seems to be turning his attention away from the Octagon after UFC 246.
Does at least one superfight between McGregor and the two most popular professional boxers on the planet loom on the horizon? Is McGregor on his way to fighting either Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao in 2020?
Which fight makes the most sense?
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Uncomfortable Truth About Mayweather-McGregor 1
Mayweather defeated McGregor in August 2017 in one of the best-selling pay-per-view events ever. Despite the crossover boxing battle being a contest that would limit McGregor to using only his fists, fans still bought into the idea that McGregor could somehow usurp Mayweather, who entered the contest 49-0.
But Mayweather was too much for McGregor. While the event was a fun spectacle, it didn’t appear from how Mayweather fought the fight to be something the boxer took all that seriously. How else could you explain the best defensive fighter of his generation walking toward the most dangerous striker in MMA in a manner he had never dared to do before to any elite professional boxer?
Still, people seem to have bought into the idea that McGregor was competitive in the fight. Most importantly, McGregor seems to have bought into the idea himself.
Mayweather Rematch or Manny Pacquiao?
Mayweather and McGregor have history, and it seems as if both fighters are at least considering having another go at each other. But the most intriguing crossover boxing match for McGregor would probably be against Mayweather’s chief rival, Manny Pacquiao.
Stylistically, McGregor’s counterpunching would pair nicely with Pacquiao’s absurd speed and power. Both are southpaws, and McGregor would have a distinct size advantage in the fight. Moreover, both fighters are the type that gun for the knockout, which would make matters explosive for however long the fight lasts.
Additionally, Pacquiao currently holds a welterweight title belt.
That might not matter all that much. After all, how on earth would McGregor slim all the way back down to 147 pounds after getting so jacked at 170 for UFC 246? Boxing’s welterweight division is basically the UFC’s featherweight division plus a sandwich, but at least it would allow McGregor the chance to face a reigning world boxing champion.
However, the rematch against Mayweather would probably net McGregor more money overall. No fighter in history has sold as many PPVs as Mayweather, and the two combined together again would probably be a huge winner at the box office.
Which Boxer Should McGregor Face?
So which boxer should McGregor face? That’s probably the wrong question.
After all, McGregor just got back to doing what he’s best at in the UFC. Superfights looms within the company against welterweights Jorge Masvidal and Kamaru Usman. There’s always interest in completing the trilogy against Nate Diaz. McGregor just got to 170. Why leave now?
The rematch against UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov would be another massive event. Nurmagomedov defeated McGregor via submission at UFC 229 in 2018 which was the best-selling UFC PPV event ever. Why not do that fight again?
So the truth is that McGregor, as much as he loves to look around at all the shiny objects boxing the likes of Mayweather and Pacquiao might afford him, shouldn’t be looking to climb back into the boxing ring at all this year. He probably shouldn’t even do it next year.
Because McGregor is the most popular MMA fighter in the world, and he has so much left to do in his own sport.
McGregor should let the boxers box while he keeps fighting in his own way.
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