McGregor not keen on Pacquiao fight

MANILA, Philippines — Manny Pacquiao turned 39 yesterday hearing news that Conor McGregor is not stepping inside the boxing ring to fight the Filipino senator soon.

“I think a true fight is what I want to do next,” McGregor said on video, a clip that was posted online yesterday.

“MMA next,” he added, in effect saying that his next fight would not be a boxing match with Pacquiao, who hasn’t fought since July.

Pacquiao aired a couple of weeks ago that he wants to fight in April 2018.

Prior to that, he wetted the appetite of fight fans when he greeted McGregor on Thanksgiving Day, and then admitted that initial talks were held with representatives of the UFC lightweight champion.

Immediately, fans had hoped that the two superstars would fight in April, despite a threat of a lawsuit being filed by UFC president Dana White against Pacquiao or whoever is representing him in the talks with McGregor.

The 29-year-old Irish is under contract with UFC, and it states that he cannot enter into any negotiations for a fight, a boxing match in this case, without the green light from the mixed martial arts body.

The fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. last August was an entirely different case.

While he did not display the skills or the potential of being a great boxer, it’s a fact that he’s always there to fight and draw the fans.

His fight with Mayweather generated pay-per-view sales of 4.3 million and in excess of $600 million in total revenue. He reportedly earned $100 million for that.

McGregor could not get a fight for $10 million in the UFC, and even if he is offered half of what he earned against Mayweather by facing Pacquiao, chances are he’d do it.

But not as soon as some people would want.

McGregor is perhaps under pressure from the UFC to do a fight inside the octagon by April before he even considers wearing the heavier boxing gloves again.

A source from Team Pacquiao told The STAR recently that there are efforts to make the fight with McGregor, and doing it in April is not in the original plan.

He said Pacquiao is more inclined to fighting a tuneup fight in April, maybe in Dubai, Malaysia or China, while McGregor returns to the UFC cage for his own fight.

If things fall into place, and Pacquiao is impressive in his next fight, then that will be the time he would enter into a more serious talks with McGregor for them to stage a fight by November.