Foreman: McGregor can beat Pacquiao
CAN Conor McGregor beat Manny Pacquiao in a boxing match? One boxing legend thinks so.
In an interview with English newspaper The Daily Star, former world heavyweight champion George Foreman said McGregor, an Irish mixed martial arts champion, has the punching ability to defeat Pacquiao in a professional boxing match.
Foreman, however, added that McGregor should quit the United Fighting Championship (UFC) and focus on boxing.
“I think if he has a fight with Pacquiao he can actually beat him — good rules, over 10 rounds, McGregor can beat him,” Foreman said in the interview.
The 32-year-old McGregor is a former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion. In 2017, the Irish fought undefeated five-division boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a professional boxing fight and lost by technical knockout in the 10th round.
McGregor also lost by knockout to Dustin Poirier in the UFC last month. He has now lost three of his last six MMA matches.
“He’s already adjusted to boxing; he’s not going to do good in MMA anymore,” Foreman added. “Pacquiao is very good as a matter of fact, but McGregor can beat him in a boxing match.”
Talks of a PacquiaoMcGregor duel actually surfaced recently after the Filipino senator signed with the management company that also handles the Irishman.
“It’s hard for McGregor to accept it, but he’s a better puncher than he is in MMA.
I’d rather see him in boxing matches now,” Foreman said. “The UFC is really good. I wish it had been around in my day. Of course, I like that type of fighting. In the UFC, I would have been good and I would have lasted a long time. It just so happened that it wasn’t around and it wasn’t that popular in the beginning.”
The 42-year-old Pacquiao has not fought since beating Keith Thurman in July 2019 for the WBA welterweight crown. The title, however, was taken away from him by the WBA due to inactivity.
Pacquiao is currently getting back in shape for another major fight.
Aside from McGregor, Pacquiao’s possible opponents for his next, and maybe his last, professional bout are WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford, former WBC and IBF welterweight king Shawn Porter and reigning WBC and IBF welterweight champ Errol
Spence Jr.