Manny Pacquiao photo by King Rodriguez/ PCOO; McGregor photo from @TheNotoriousMMA/ Twitter
Boxing legend Sen. Manny Pacquiao will fight UFC superstar Conor McGregor in 2021, Pacquiao’s special assistant Jayke Joson said on Saturday.
Joson said Pacquiao’s earnings from the fight would be donated to Covid-19-hit Filipinos.
“For the sake of all the Filipino Covid-19 victims, Senator Manny Pacquiao will be fighting UFC superstar Conor McGregor next year. The huge portion of his earnings will proceed to those who are affected nationwide by the pandemic,” he said in a statement.
Pacquiao’s latest bout was a victory against Keith Thurman in 2019, where he snagged the WBA welterweight crown via split decision, becoming the oldest welterweight to win a major title in boxing history.
McGregor, meanwhile, won via first-round knockout against Donald Cerrone in the UFC in January this year.
In 2017, McGregor fought Floyd Mayweather and lost via 10th-round knockout.
McGregor said it was a “true honor” facing Mayweather and soon, Pacquiao.
It will be a true honour to have faced two of the greatest boxers of the modern era, afraid of a fight.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) September 25, 2020
The Irishman also revealed that the bout would take place in the Middle East.
Anyway all water under the bridge who gives a fook.
I’m boxing Manny Pacquiao next in the Middle East.— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) September 25, 2020
“Anyway, all water under the bridge, who gives a fook. I’m boxing Manny Pacquiao next in the Middle East,” he said in a tweet. John Ezekiel J. Hirro