WITH just a simple statement in Tagalog, “I am accepting it,” MMA’s Conor McGregor has piqued the interest of fight fans, especially Pinoy fans. It doesn’t matter he never defined what “it” is. That the statement was made in Filipino simply means it is addressed to a Filipino.
And we all know who has been angling for a fight against the MMA superstar who probably is the richest boxer in history that has a 0-1 win-loss record. Our very own Manny Pacquiao, who will be the second aging boxer once in the top pound-for-pound list that McGregor will fight. The other one of course being Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Will the fight be made? I think so. It’s too profitable not to be made. I mean look at Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, even if it happened five years after it should have, they still fought and laughed their way to the banks while almost everyone lashed at the rip-off that was the Farce of the Century.
And in this case, there won’t be much expectation as pro Pacquiao fans simply want to see Manny do better than Floyd against McGregor—win earlier than the 10th—while Mayweather fans want Pacquiao to win after the 10th.
McGregor fans aren’t really after anything. They know just like in the Mayweather fight, their man the Notorious One will be laughing his way to the bank, with a U$130 million paycheck if it will be as much a hit as the fight against Mayweather.
So, I guess we will be hearing more “sell” from the two in the next few days. I mean, who’s left out there for Manny? Some young folks who are out to make their names by taking on a legend? Pacquiao is on the early side of the 40s, an age when most fighters are already enjoying their cash cow in retirement if they were smart enough not to squander their money when they were active.
Pacquiao already has his retirement fund and as a senator of the republic, doesn’t really need another big payday. But as a one-man charity foundation with an eye towards the 2022 presidential elections—whether as the top guy or the No. 2 man—a big nine-figure payday wouldn’t hurt.
And besides, this would be a boxing match since no one in his right mind would expect a boxer to take on an MMA star in MMA while it is perfectly normal for MMA fighters to take on boxers. (Now, do you still wonder why boxing is sometimes called the red light district in sports?)
So, I wonder what Chapter 2 of the big sell will be.