Manny Pacquiao says Conor McGregor won't land 'a meaningful punch' in mega-fight against Floyd Mayweather
While speaking with Yahoo Sports, Pacquiao made it clear he didn't think McGregor would be able to put up much of a fight, saying "There is no way he will be able to land a meaningful punch on Floyd. How could he? He has no professional experience in boxing."
"McGregor has no chance in this fight," Pacquiao went on to say, "In fact, it could be very boring."
It's a sentiment that has been echoed by many who follow boxing adamantly and view the MayGregor fight as a silly exhibition rather than a true exemplar of the sport. Current middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin, better known as "GGG" or "Triple G," said of the fight in an interview with ESPN, "It's a big commercial show, a business event. It's not boxing."
Despite McGregor being known as a force in UFC and one of the best strikers in mixed martial arts, Mayweather is arguably the greatest defensive boxer ever, and McGregor is meeting him in the ring, not the octagon.
Pacquiao knows firsthand just how tough it is to land a punch on Floyd Mayweather. Known as one of the greatest pound-for-pound boxers during his prime, Pacquiao lost to Mayweather by unanimous decision in their 2015 fight that was largely disappointing to most fans. Pacquiao landed just 81 punches in that fight, according to CompuBox.
Pacquiao went on to add that he would not be purchasing the MayGregor fight, and told fans that they'd be better served watching Golovkin in his upcoming bout against Canelo Alverez.
"The real fight and the best fight is Golovkin vs. Canelo," Pacquiao said. "The best vs. the best. That's the fight I will be watching."
While much of the boxing world is doubting him, McGregor still has a few believers. Undefeated heavyweight Tyson Fury claims McGregor will score a knockout in the first round, and McGregor's coach has said that all the doubting has only made Conor stronger.
Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather will touch gloves in Las Vegas on August 26th.