Getty Image
Even if you weren’t a fan of Floyd Mayweather Jr., you can’t deny he was the most marketable name in boxing in recent years, and now that he’s (allegedly) retired, the sport currently lacks a true household name despite ample amounts of up-and-coming talent. His bout against Conor McGregor back in August was inarguably one based on spectacle over substance, and if rumors that surfaced last week are any indication, there’s a chance that boxing’s next major PPV might follow in its footsteps.
On Friday, Manny Pacquiao said he was in talks concerning a potential fight with McGregor in April 2018. The Filipino boxer— who famously lost an overhyped and underwhelming fight to Mayweather in 2015 (that nonetheless holds the record for the most PPV buys)— previously told McGregor he was ready to step into the ring if the superfight fell through, and it appears Pacquiao eager to take on the Irishman.
There’s no doubt such a matchup would generate way too many millions of dollars for everyone involved, but it appears there’s one person who isn’t exactly thrilled about the proposition: Dana White. The UFC President heard about the talks this weekend, and he told ESPN that he wasn’t happy about being left out of the discussion:
“That would be weird, because [Conor’s] under contract with us. If that’s true, I will be suing Manny Pacquiao and whoever’s representing him. So, I’m assuming that’s not true.”
It appears that White doesn’t really seem to have any fucking idea about what’s going on with McGregor, as he previously said he didn’t think the fighter would ever return to the UFC before recently claiming he’d be back in the Octagon by the end of the year (which seems incredibly unlikely at this point).
As someone who would just like to see McGregor start punching people in the face again as soon as possible, I just hope all parties can come to an agreement at some point in the near future.