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UFC superstar Conor McGregor appears to be heading into a boxing ring again soon, this time against boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. McGregor posted cryptically on social media about accepting something, presumedly a fight, but seems to have clarified his post later by tweeting the same “I accept” message again, this time in Pacquiao’s Tagalog language.
And McGregor’s latest Instagram story only added fuel to that superfight speculation fire. The 32-year-old Irishman responded to a video of him working on his boxing skills, presumably during the build-up for his 2017 boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr., with the following message.
“Floating on the shots, it cost me my effectiveness in there,” McGregor said. “But still, what an engine developed for this bout.”
Conor McGregor’s Boxing Engine Revved Up in 2017
McGregor’s boxing engine did look solid against Mayweather, especially if you consider the Irishman had competed in zero professional boxing matches at that point and was sharing the ring with boxing’s best champion of the era.
Indeed, McGregor looked strong for the first few rounds in the fight but faded as the bout progressed.
While some people believe Mayweather was taking it easy on the UFC megastar for entertainment purposes, others, most notably former UFC star Chael Sonnen, have suggested that McGregor was winning the fight when he ran out of gas late and was stopped by Mayweather in the 10th round.
Conor McGregor Promised Return to Boxing in 2020
Regardless, McGregor promised back in January that he’d be back inside a boxing ring again soon, and Pacquiao makes the most sense behind Mayweather as McGregor’s most likely foe.
Earlier this year, @TheNotoriousMMA told @ArielHelwani that he had interest in capturing a boxing title.
After all, Mayweather’s chief rival for the era is Pacquiao who is also one of the biggest stars in the sport and one who has achieved amazing historical records as well.
Mayweather defeated Pacquiao via unanimous decision in 2015 in the best-selling boxing pay-per-view event in history.
But Pacquiao is the only boxing champion in history to have won world titles in eight different weight classes.
On top of that, the 41-year-old is currently the WBC welterweight champion at 147 pounds and still appears to be one of boxing’s elite fighters at an age most others have already slipped too far down the slide to seriously compete for world titles.
Conor McGregor Is Massive Underdog Against Manny Pacquiao
Whatever one might think about McGregor’s last boxing match against Mayweather, oddsmakers tab McGregor the massive underdog in his next one against Pacquiao.
Per SuperBook in Las Vegas, Pacquiao is the -500 favorite to defeat McGregor, +400, in a boxing match.
That means one would have to bet $500 to win just $100 back on Pacquiao winning the fight. Conversely, placing a $100 bet backing McGregor would net $400 back if the UFC star pulled off the shocking upset.
If you remember, McGregor also opened as a huge underdog against Mayweather back in 2017 but the line was bet down by the public to around -400 for Mayweather and McGregor at +300 by fight night.
The same could happen again should McGregor vs. Pacquiao be officially announced and scheduled as it appears is on its way to happening.
After all, McGregor had already appeared to be negotiating for a 170-pound catchweight for the fight a couple of weeks back. Now, the retired UFC superstar appears to have accepted the stunning fight against one of the best boxing champs of all-time.
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Conor McGregor: ‘What an Engine Developed for This Bout!’