Pacman wants to put McGregor in a Conor

MANILA: Philippine boxing hero Manny Pacquiao said he has opened talks to fight mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor in April when he takes a break from his legislative duties.

“If we can negotiate it, I have no problem. It is OK with both of us,” Pacquiao said when asked about reports he was seeking a match with McGregor who lost a megabucks boxing match in August against the unbeaten Floyd Mayweather.

Asked if he had already approached McGregor’s handlers for such a fight, Pacquiao said, “initially, but we have not yet had any follow-up conversations.”

But Pacquiao said he heard that McGregor was willing to fight him after the Irish mixed martial artist’s foray into boxing.

Last month, Pacquiao appeared to be teasing a match with McGregor, posting a message to him on Twitter and Instagram, saying: “Happy Thanksgiving! Stay fit my friend. #realboxingmatch #2018 @ thenotoriousmma,” referring to McGregor’s social media handle.

Pacquiao, who turns 39 later this month, lost his World Boxing Organisation welterweight title to Australian former teacher Jeff Horn in July, having come out of retirement in 2016 to take the belt from American Jessie Vargas.

McGregor has not fought in mixed martial arts or boxing since losing to Mayweather by a 10th-round technical knockout in Las Vegas in August.