Despite the money on offer, legendary trainer Freddie Roach has no interest in seeing his most famed student face off with ?The Notorious? one.
Such a fight seems highly unlikely, but in the post-Mayweather/McGregor era, it?s not outside the realm of possibility that Manny Pacquiao will become the next superstar to fight Conor McGregor.
Indeed, rumours, instigated by ?Pacman? himself, have caught fire in the past month.
UFC president Dana White reluctantly played a big role in the promotion for McGregor?s super-fight with Floyd Mayweather. While White has threatened to sue Pacquiao for speaking to his most prized of prizefighters, McGregor appears to be a law unto himself, still wielding the UFC lightweight championship despite 13 months of non-injury induced inactivity.
Whether a fight with Pacquiao would create the same buzz as the Floyd bout earlier this year is debatable, given that the novelty of seeing McGregor possibly defeat a an all-time boxing great has been reality checked. It would be an inevitable money-spinner, however, regardless of its competitiveness.
FightHype spoke to Manny?s trainer Freddie Roach on the subject. Interestingly, Roach approached the question initially as if it were proposed that Pacquiao would enter the alien world of MMA.
It?s doubtful that anything could be read into that, but such a move would arguably surpass the interest in May/Mac back in August.
?Manny always told me that he doesn?t like that sport [MMA] because it?s more like a street fight?, Roach told FightHype.
?It?s a very winnable fight, and there?s a lot of money to be made from it. But it?s kind of like ripping off the world. It wouldn?t be a fair fight, unless Manny fought by their rules too, which would make it fair.
?But if you?re going to do boxing rules, the boxer?s gonna win 99 and a half percent of the time. I don?t think it?s much of a fight. He?s not that great a boxer, and I think we all saw that.?
